Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
This report, based on two surveys conducted with support from Pivotal Ventures, the executive office of Melinda Gates, was issued by Pew Research Center. The Center retained final editorial control over the questionnaire, the analysis of the survey data, and the contents of this report. Pew Research Center received invaluable advice on the survey questionnaire […]
There were considerably fewer complaints about the personal impact among these expert respondents. But their own lives and observations give testimony that there are ways in which digital life has ill-served some participants. The following anecdotes speak to the themes that the internet has not helped some users’ well-being. If someone would have told me […]
Most respondents who expect an improvement in the information environment in the coming years put their faith in maturing – and more discerning – information consumers finding ways to cope personally and band together to effect change. Fake news and information manipulation are no longer ‘other people’s problems.’ This new awareness of the importance of […]
Misinformation and “fake news” have been around for as long as people have communicated. But today’s instant, low-budget, far-reaching communications capabilities have the potential to make the problem orders of magnitude more dangerous than in the past. Mankind has always lied, and always will; which is why the winners of wars get to write the […]
Many respondents who expect no improvement in the information environment argue that certain actors in government,business and other individuals with propaganda agendas and special interests are turning technology to their favor in the spread of misinformation. There are too many of them and they are clever enough that they will continue to infect the online […]
Experts are split on whether the coming years will see less misinformation online. Those who foresee improvement hope for technological and societal solutions. Others say bad actors using technology can exploit human vulnerabilities.
Many experts say lack of trust won’t hinder increased public reliance on the internet. Some expect trust to grow as tech and regulatory changes arise; others think it will worsen or maybe change entirely.
A plurality of respondents expect participation in online interactions to grow in the next decade. They cited a variety of reasons, including 1) continued improvement of global security and personal privacy in technical systems, as well as civic and industry support for social strategies, that will in turn build trust; and 2) people’s increased capacity […]
Will training for the skills likely to be most important in the jobs of the future work be effective in large-scale settings by 2026? Respondents in this canvassing overwhelmingly said yes, anticipating improvements in such education will continue. However, when respondents answered the question, “Which of these skills can be taught effectively via online systems?” […]
Many participants pointed out that a person’s use of a technology does not necessarily equate to any level of trust in that technology. They said while some users may gain some level of trust in online interaction for various reasons in the next decade, many will be interacting in online spaces because it is convenient, […]
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