Copyright 2021 by Champion Briefs, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage or
retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the
copyright owner and the publisher.
The Evidence Standard June 2021

The Evidence Standard

Speech and Debate provides a meaningful and educational experience to all who are involved.

We, as educators in the community, believe that it is our responsibility to provide resources

that uphold the foundation of the Speech and Debate activity. Champion Briefs, its employees,

managers, and associates take an oath to uphold the following Evidence Standard:

1. We will never falsify facts, opinions, dissents, or any other information.

2. We will never knowingly distribute information that has been proven to be inaccurate,

even if the source of the information is legitimate.

3. We will actively fight the dissemination of false information and will provide the

community with clarity if we learn that a third-party has attempted to commit

deception.

4. We will never knowingly support or distribute studies, news articles, or other

materials that use inaccurate methodologies to reach a conclusion or prove a point.

5. We will provide meaningful clarification to any who question the legitimacy of

information that we distribute.

6. We will actively contribute to students’ understanding of the world by using evidence

from a multitude of perspectives and schools of thought.

7. We will, within our power, assist the community as a whole in its mission to achieve

the goals and vision of this activity.

These seven statements, while simple, represent the complex notion of what it means to

advance students’ understanding of the world around them, as is the purpose of educators.

Champion Briefs 5
Letter from the Editor June 2021

Letter from the Editor

The resolution for Public Forum Debate for NSDA Nationals 2021 will be, “Resolved: In
the United States, social media is beneficial for democratic values.” This topic excites me
because it’s an interesting discussion to have through the lens of Public Forum Debate.
Typically, Public Forum Debaters are tasked with addressing matters of domestic and
international policy, but this resolution will require students to analyze democratic principles
and the impacts that factor into them. While this topic is hardly “ripped from the headlines,” it
is certainly an often-discussed topic. For those who have never lived in a world without social
media, it’s hard to understand the impact that it has had on democracy at every level. For those
reasons, I’m very excited to see what students will come up with in advance of the final
tournament of the 2021 season.
One thing that I appreciate about this topic is that it will require students to look at their
own behavior on social media, as well as the behavior of those around them. Virtually all of us
have used social media, or use it regularly, and many of us have at the very least participated in
a few online discussions about American democracy. Most resolutions are intangible in the
sense that students are discussing topics that may not affect the debaters daily, but this topic
addresses something that has been incorporated into many peoples' everyday routines.
NSDA Nationals is one of the most fun experiences I had throughout all of high school.
It’s truly a marathon rather than a sprint, with the rounds spread out across many days. For
those competing, savor the last rounds of your season or your career, and try not to let the
stress or excitement distract from what should be a celebration of a great year. Best of luck at
Nationals – we’ll be rooting for you!

Michael Norton
Editor-in-Chief

Champion Briefs 6
Table of Contents June 2021

Table of Contents

The Evidence Standard ....................................................................... 5

Letter from the Editor ........................................................................ 6
Table of Contents ............................................................................... 7
Topic Analyses.................................................................................. 10
Topic Analysis by Sara Catherine Cook ....................................................................................................... 11
Topic Analysis by Jakob Urda ......................................................................................................................... 22
Topic Analysis by Tucker Wilke ...................................................................................................................... 29

General Information ......................................................................... 42
Pro Arguments ................................................................................. 51
PRO: Social media allows for direct interaction with candidates ...................................................... 52
PRO: Social media decreases entry barriers for political newcomers .............................................. 57
PRO: Social media holds politicians accountable .................................................................................... 61
PRO: Social media is a cheap option for advertisements ..................................................................... 66
PRO: Social media makes protests easier .................................................................................................. 71
PRO: Social media increases political advertisements .......................................................................... 74
PRO: Social media increases youth political awareness ....................................................................... 77
PRO: Social media increases voter turnout ............................................................................................... 80
PRO: Social media improves social movements ...................................................................................... 83
PRO: Social Media Increases Productive Debate ..................................................................................... 86
PRO: Social Media Creates Spaces for Open Debate ............................................................................. 89
PRO: Social Media Helps Connect Activists ............................................................................................... 93
PRO: Social Media Helps Fundraising .......................................................................................................... 97
PRO: Social Media Increases Information Available ............................................................................. 100
PRO: Social media fights misinformation ................................................................................................. 103

Pro Responses to Con Arguments ................................................... 106
A/2: Social media inhibits free speech ...................................................................................................... 107
A/2: Social Media increases violence ........................................................................................................ 111
A/2: Social Media contributes to an increase in the mental health crisis .................................... 114

Champion Briefs 7
Table of Contents June 2021

A/2: Social media increases oppression ................................................................................................... 118

A/2: Social media undermines justice ....................................................................................................... 121
A/2: Social Media Reduces Constructive Dialogue ............................................................................... 124
A/2: Social Media Allows for Surveillance ................................................................................................ 127
A/2: Social Media Boosts Fake News ......................................................................................................... 130
A/2: Social Media Creates Echo Chambers .............................................................................................. 133
A/2: Social Media increases aggression and violence in youth ........................................................ 136
A/2: Social Media contributes to teen depression and anxiety ....................................................... 139
A/2: Social media is used to silence dissent ............................................................................................ 143
A/2: Social media undermines fair trials .................................................................................................. 146
A/2: Social Media is Addictive ...................................................................................................................... 149
A/2: Social Media Can Alter Political Behavior ....................................................................................... 152

Con Arguments .............................................................................. 155
CON: Social media inhibits free speech .................................................................................................... 156
CON: Social Media increases violence ....................................................................................................... 162
CON: Social media contributes to an increase in the Mental Health crisis .................................. 167
CON: Social Media increases Oppression ................................................................................................. 173
CON: Social media undermines justice ..................................................................................................... 176
CON: Social Media Reduces Constructive Dialogue ............................................................................. 182
CON: Social Media Allows for Surveillance .............................................................................................. 186
CON: Social Media Boosts Fake News ....................................................................................................... 190
CON: Social Media Creates Echo Chambers ............................................................................................ 194
CON: Social Media increases aggression and violence in youth ...................................................... 198
CON: Social Media contributes to teen depression and anxiety ..................................................... 202
CON: Social media is used to silence dissent .......................................................................................... 206
CON: Social media undermines fair trials ................................................................................................ 212
CON: Social Media is Addictive .................................................................................................................... 217
CON: Social Media Can Alter Political Behavior ..................................................................................... 221

Con Responses to Pro Arguments ................................................... 225
A/2: Social media allows for direct interaction with candidates ..................................................... 226
A/2: Social media decreases entry barriers for political newcomers ............................................. 230
A/2: Social media holds politicians accountable ................................................................................... 234
A/2: Social media is a cheap option for advertisements .................................................................... 238
A/2: Social media makes protests easier ................................................................................................. 242

Champion Briefs 8
Table of Contents June 2021

A/2: Social media increases political advertisements .......................................................................... 245

A/2: Social media increases youth political awareness ....................................................................... 248
A/2: Social media increases voter turnout .............................................................................................. 251
A/2: Social media improves social movements ..................................................................................... 254
A/2: Social Media Increases Productive Debate .................................................................................... 257
A/2: Social Media Creates Spaces for Open Debate ............................................................................. 261
A/2: Social Media Helps Connect Activists .............................................................................................. 264
A/2: Social Media Helps Fundraising ......................................................................................................... 267
A/2: Social Media Increases Information Available .............................................................................. 270
A/2: Social media fights misinformation .................................................................................................. 273

Champion Briefs 9
Topic Analysis by Sara Catherine Cook June 2021

Topic Analysis by Sara Catherine Cook

Resolved: In the United States, social media is beneficial for democratic values.

Introduction

I am really excited about this topic. It is especially interesting given the recent rise of the

Instagram infographic as well as the influence social media has had on the past few elections.

Let's get started by breaking down the wording of the resolution. Though it may seem obvious

what social media is, the definition here is somewhat important. More specifically for what

people can lump into the definition based on technicalities. For example, if you were able to

define all news under the breadth of social media, the round changes pretty drastically in

comparison to just considering Instagram, Facebook, etc. social media. Social media generally

includes websites and applications that allow users to create and share content and network.

Under that umbrella, there are a few different types of social media. Social networking includes

applications like Facebook and LinkedIn. Twitter and Tumblr would be considered

microblogging, while other popular websites and applications can be categorized as a photo or

video-sharing platforms. Social media has a wide influence on information sharing, which will

be the primary focus of this topic, because of its ability to connect large groups of people across

time and geographical distance.

Let's now talk about what "democratic values" are. Political scientist Larry Diamond

argues that democracy consists of four key elements: a political system for choosing and

replacing the government through free and fair elections, the active participation of the people

Champion Briefs 11
Topic Analysis by Sara Catherine Cook June 2021

in politics and civic life, protection of the human rights of all citizens, and a rule of law that

applies equally to all citizens. There is room for discussion in the round over what exactly

"democratic values" entails but this is the basic framework. Specifically, some argue that there

needs to be a more defined line between democracy and concepts of human rights, especially

when democracy often falls short of guaranteeing all human rights to its citizens.

This resolution follows the general trend we have seen this year of value resolutions.

This means that rather than roleplaying as policymakers in the round, teams are instead asked

to assess the value of, in this case, social media through both a present and historical lens. In

this topic, teams can discuss both past and current harms of social media to democratic values

to determine whether it has been on-net beneficial. The first social media platform came about

in 1997, with blogging sites following in 1999. The early 2000s saw the introduction of sites like

LinkedIn and MySpace, with Youtube being created in 2005. Since then, social media has only

grown with new uses and forms being created every year. With increases in the number of

people using social media, it has become increasingly influential for shaping our society,

especially over the past year when in-person gatherings were so limited. Social media has also

recently become a space for activism as people can readily distribute information to large

groups of people about issues they may not otherwise have exposure to. This contrasts to

earlier generations who rely on news sources for information; Gen Z learns about what's

happening in the world primarily from Twitter threads and Instagram infographics, which we

will talk about more moving forward.

One thing to keep in mind when considering this topic is what the alternative would

look like: What would a world without social media look like for our generation? Would we find

Champion Briefs 12
Topic Analysis by Sara Catherine Cook June 2021

other ways to engage with news and information, or would we just be less educated about

many issues? How would the flow of information be different - and with that, would it be

better? Social media is easy to consider in a vacuum, but for this topic, it will be strategic to

look to social media in comparison to a world without it to show whether it has been beneficial

or harmful.

Affirmative Argumentation

I am going to break down each side of this topic based on the four elements of

democracy mentioned above. Let's discuss how social media can influence elections and

potentially bridge some of the barriers in the status quo to political action. Because social

media provides a free platform that millions of people engage with, politicians have an

incentive to have some sort of platform or discuss their campaigning, platform, etc. on

platforms like Twitter and Instagram. This has become a new and popular phenomenon (think

Donald Trump's Twitter) especially in the past couple of election cycles. One criticism of regular

election campaigning is that it often targets swing states. This means that candidates will often

ignore areas that they know they cannot win both in their platform and their traveling. The last

election showed huge changes from previous elections. Because of social media, first-time

voters under 30 more than doubled from the 2016 election. While there are confounding

factors like political polarization and civil unrest that took place in 2020, it is hard to deny that

social media played a large role in publicizing candidates and their platforms. Candidates having

a platform to reach more people not only gives voters more equitable access to information but

also could change the platforms of those candidates in the long run.

Champion Briefs 13
Topic Analysis by Sara Catherine Cook June 2021

Political candidates form their platforms not only around what they believe in but also

what will be strategic to win them the election. In truth, candidates are there to represent the

people who voted them into office, meaning that their platforms will be heavily based on what

they believe people need and want. The last election saw states who have been solidly red

waver or swing to the other side, meaning that in following elections, candidates will be more

likely to pander to the issues that people in those states care about. The trajectory here is that

overall, social media may change, eliminate, or add swing states which would change the

election strategy for many candidates. Teams could then identify positive policies coming out of

states like Georgia who unexpectedly swung or just general positives from changing the layout

of electoral politics over time. One such benefit would include candidates changing which

states they visit or more specifically, paying more attention to Black people in the South, who

have been extremely influential in pushing for change, but simultaneously have long been

ignored by federal politics.

Secondly, social media influences political participation, the second value outlined by

Larry Diamond. Social media allows people who are either geographically removed or possibly

ill-informed on specific issues to have access to activism and information. This is another reason

why voter participation increased in the last election. One could argue that the information was

there all along, that people interested in politics are one Google search away from finding

whatever information they need. This ignores two problems that social media might solve. First,

if you are ill-informed on an issue, or just have no idea about it, you also don’t know to learn

about it. Social media in many ways can expose people who are isolated from information to

new ideas because of how quickly information spreads. Apps like Tiktok will boost videos that

Champion Briefs 14
Topic Analysis by Sara Catherine Cook June 2021

have high interaction and thus expose millions of people to sometimes valuable information

that can explain a political concept or publicize an atrocity. The second issue is that many

people do not have the time or energy to watch the news or spend hours reading news sites.

Even if they are interested in a specific topic, they may not have time to sift through vast

amounts of information. On social media, information is pared down into minutes of content or

a few words, allowing people to get the essentials in a shorter period. This also allows people to

access a breadth of topics rather than just ones they might be most interested in.

Social media can also be influential for protecting and advocating for human rights. In

just the past year, social media has been utilized to bring more attention to police brutality and

other issues of systemic racism in the US and abroad. While Black Lives Matter has been a

prominent movement for almost a decade now, social media was able to spread information

and educate the people who have been silent or complicit in violence faster and more

effectively than before. Social media was also used to organize marches, publicize information

that was sometimes not reported by mainstream news outlets, and boost donations towards a

variety of organizations including time-sensitive bail funds for arrested protestors. This is just an

example of how the virality of content on social media can allow citizens to hold the

government and various organizations accountable when they are violating human rights.

Other crises around the world have also received social media attention over the past few

years, allowing people in the US who can donate to put their money towards solving atrocities

that are sometimes caused by US intervention. One example of this would be efforts to raise

awareness about the Yemeni civil war and famine. On an individual level, marginalized people

in need of support are often able to get that support through social media. On a smaller level,

Champion Briefs 15
Topic Analysis by Sara Catherine Cook June 2021

social media has also popularized mutual aid and given people doing that kind of work a

platform to receive more money and volunteer support.

Overall, social media provides valuable and digestible information to a large group of

people who otherwise may never come across it. That power can be harnessed by individuals

spreading important messages. Social media can change the landscape of elections and push

forward activist efforts that may have been harder to mobilize in an age without social media. It

is also worth noting that social media creates space for open dialogue as people often debate

over issues and are criticized overviews that may be normalized where they live.

Negative Argumentation

It is hard to argue against the general line of affirmative argumentation: that social

media increases the spread of information. The main ground on the negative side is to argue

that the information spread or the way information is spread is harmful. Let's start with the

former. Social media has very little verification and thus allows potentially dangerous or untrue

information to spread like wildfire. The most prominent example of this happened during the

2016 election. Russian Facebook trolls targeted specific voters in swing states during the

election with information about gun control or immigration. Hundreds of thousands of

accounts regularly posted anti-Clinton messages and some scholars believed that this seriously

tampered with the election and possibly changed the result. Black and Latino voters were also

flooded with disinformation in the days leading up to the 2016 election to try to discourage

them from voting. This was an attempt to decrease the number of votes for Hillary Clinton in

specific areas of the country. Because of the vast amount of people on social media and the

Champion Briefs 16
Topic Analysis by Sara Catherine Cook June 2021

general trust for information spread on the platform, people can use it to negatively influence

things like voter turnout or people's perception of a candidate, thus tampering with election

results or changing them.

The second way that social media can be harmful is by creating echo chambers. A few

years ago companies like Facebook started targeting ads and news sources towards what they

thought people would like. Essentially, Facebook personalizes your feed with the information

they think you will agree with. Even more so, people are unlikely to follow people on social

media that have different political views or opinions than they do. To explore this issue of

polarization, there was an experiment run in Colorado where groups of people were asked to

discuss issues with like-minded individuals. In almost every group, members ended up with

more extreme positions after speaking to one another. Because they never had to consider the

other side or discuss why their initial position was right, groups often found their initial

agreement on one side of an issue as a jumping-off point. The experiment also made the groups

themselves more homogenous, i.e. eliminating any internal dispute amongst members. Before

the discussion, some liberal groups were, on some issues, close to some conservative groups,

but afterward, the two were diametrically opposed. The point here is that this experiment is

constantly continuing on social media every day because people most commonly follow people

with the same beliefs as themselves.

There are two important notes about this argument. First, the point is not that everyone

should have centrist political opinions. The point is rather that forming echo chambers

radicalize people who might otherwise be able to have a conversation and form some sort of

compromise. This changes the landscape of politics, as well as candidates representing more

Champion Briefs 17
Topic Analysis by Sara Catherine Cook June 2021

radical ideologies, will continue to emerge. Polarization is generally bad for democracy because

it inhibits full political participation as more and more policies are not reflective of compromise,

but rather of one party having dominant control. Second, it is worth noting that echo chambers

also form absent social media. The issue with social media is that the echo chambers are much

larger and form much easier than in real life. They are thus more damaging in terms of

radicalizing beliefs and forming homogeneity amongst groups of people.

Social media also inhibits people's meaningful participation in life through the mental

health issues it causes. Multiple studies have found strong links between heavy social media

usage and increased likelihood for depression, anxiety, loneliness, etc. A few of the reasons

behind this include fear of missing out, isolation, cyberbullying, and feeling that your life is

inadequate compared to people you might follow on social media. Social media for some

creates an inescapable reality, where the problems they may face at school, work, etc. now

follow them home. Though this may seem unrelated to democracy, one of the core democratic

values is active participation in civil life, and often social media trades off with forming

meaningful connections and being able to fully enjoy one's life. Even with serious mental health

issues, social media is addictive and often keeps people from experiencing real life.

Finally, social media can eliminate individual privacy and proliferate cancel culture.

Because of the virality of social media, when someone does or says something offensive, they

usually are punished and held accountable for their actions and asked to educate themselves

further. While this dynamic is good, social media does not always provide the best space for

personal growth for people who have made mistakes. First, social media cancel culture often

uniquely hurts low or middle-income people, as people will get them fired from their jobs or

Champion Briefs 18
Topic Analysis by Sara Catherine Cook June 2021

relentlessly message their relatives on social media. Celebrities are rarely held accountable for

their actions as people forget and move on from their racist or insensitive actions and continue

to support them. Prominent examples of this include YouTubers like Shane Dawson and Trisha

Paytas who continue to have a platform despite doing blackface or claiming to have disorders

that they don't have. Regular people on social media, however, are targeted and not given

adequate space to correct their mistakes because people are continuously malicious towards

them. This is not meant to blame the people holding them accountable or meant to victimize

the people who are saying or doing offensive things in the first place, but rather to point out

that social media as a platform is rarely useful for changing behavior and can often hurt

vulnerable people. One example of this is TikToker Clara Janover who posted a video using an

analogy to explain why saying "All Lives Matter" is incorrect. She then was doxxed and canceled

by many people on the right, causing her to lose her job and endure hundreds of thousands of

racist comments on her mother's Facebook page. Social media puts people on blast for what

they have done, but often in a way that encourages death threats or other harmful behavior

rather than meaningful change.

Conclusion

Social media becomes ever more present in our society and continues to evolve and

change in its uses. Thus, we have seen changes in our society and democracy in the United

States that will continue to become more drastic over time. Here are a few things to keep in

mind for this topic. First, we cannot look at whether social media is good or bad in a vacuum. It

is necessary to compare the world we live in now to the alternative. If people were not getting

Champion Briefs 19
Topic Analysis by Sara Catherine Cook June 2021

information from social media, where would it come from? This is where you will identify many

of the links into arguments on this topic. It is not enough to say that social media causes a

problem if that problem exists without social media as well; teams need to prove that social

media makes a problem worse. Second, impacts on this topic may be a bit theoretical or at the

very least, fewer numbers-oriented than other topics. Because the topic specifies democratic

values, many of the impacts on this topic will feel more vague or theoretical. That also means

that weighing of these impacts needs to follow suit. If you are running an argument about

elections per se, you need to be able to explain why that is more important to democracy than,

say, some impact on political or civic participation. It will be hard on this topic to play the

common "my number is bigger than your number" game when it comes to comparing your case

to your opponents'. Overall, I think this topic will be really interesting to debate and I hope you

have a great last month of this debate season!

Works Cited

Bond, Shannon. “Black and Latino Voters Flooded with Disinformation in the Election’s Final

Days”. NPR. 30 Oct 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/10/30/929248146/black-and-

latino-voters-flooded-with-disinformation-in-elections-final-days

Hendricks, Drew. “Complete History of Social Media: Then and Now”. Small Business Trends. 8

May 2013. https://smallbiztrends.com/2013/05/the-complete-history-of-social-media-

infographic.html#:~:text=The%20first%20recognizable%20social%20media,sensation%2

0that's%20still%20popular%20today.

Champion Briefs 20
Topic Analysis by Sara Catherine Cook June 2021

Lapowsky, Issie. “How Russian Facebook Ads Divided and Targeted US Voters Before the 2016

Election”. Wired. 16 Apr 2016. https://www.wired.com/story/russian-facebook-ads-

targeted-us-voters-before-2016-election/

Moore, Hayleigh, and Mia Hinckle. "Social Media's Impact on the 2020 Presidential Election:

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". University of Maryland Division of Research. 3 Nov

2020. https://research.umd.edu/news/news_story.php?id=13541

Shane, Scott. “The Fake Americans Russia Created to Influence the Election”. New York Times. 7

Sept 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/us/politics/russia-facebook-twitter-

election.html

Sunstein, Cass. “Is Social Media Good or Bad for Democracy?”. Sur: International Journal on

Human Rights. Jan 2018. https://sur.conectas.org/en/is-social-media-good-or-bad-for-

democracy/

“Social Media and Mental Health”. HelpGuide. Sept 2020.

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-

health.htm#:~:text=However%2C%20multiple%20studies%20have%20found,about%20y

our%20life%20or%20appearance.

Champion Briefs 21
Topic Analysis by Jakob Urda June 2021

Topic Analysis by Jakob Urda

Resolved: In the United States, social media is beneficial for democratic values.

Introduction

The final topic of the year is breathtaking in scope, relevance, and depth of research.

There is little more contemporary or salient in modern politics than social media. The 2016 and

2020 US elections highlight that Facebook and Twitter are the new battlegrounds upon which

campaigns are waged. Social media intersects many aspects of the democratic process – from

fundraising and activism to debate and polarization. Each issue is muddy, with arguments in

support of and opposed to social media. The weighing of these arguments against one another

is even more complex, forcing debaters to juggle different rights and equities against one

another.

The June topic will force debaters to think about philosophy, sociology, and policy. On

one level, debaters must ask themselves "what are democratic values?" Are they values that

are held by all democracies, or values that allow democracy to thrive? Where do values such as

economic freedom and property rights fit in? Debaters must then consider the sociological

questions of how social media change our polity – who we interact with and how we trust one

another. Finally, debaters must consider policy questions over how the consequences of social

media have manifested themselves and how to attribute causality to social media as opposed

to other methods of communication or technological change. This topic is unique because

Champion Briefs 22
Topic Analysis by Jakob Urda June 2021

debaters must engage on all of these levels; It is not sufficient to pick one or two areas and go

deep.

This topic will reward the very best competitors, so it is fitting that the national

championship will be held on it. Students should check YouTube and other platforms to try and

watch some of these rounds which promise to be the absolute best in the nation.

Strategy Considerations

Social media is a hot-button political issue. From election interference to antitrust, there

are few topics that Americans care more about than the way that social network technologies

have changed our lives. The scope of these changes has been so great that it is difficult to even

think about whether the changes have been good or bad. Smart debaters will approach this

topic with the appropriate gravity and respect to find points that are impactful and resonate

with our judges.

The core of social media technology is breaking down the barriers to information that

exist in the physical world by increasing connectedness. Social media makes interpersonal

interaction seamless and thereby increases the ability to gather together and organize. The

central puzzle of this resolution is whether or not a world of frictionless connection is desirable

or not. While facially positive, the impacts of eliminating the natural bounds of communication

(in terms of time and geography) bear radical implications for society. The analog speed bumps

slowed interactions before social media served to order and limit the transmission of ideas.

In essence, this boils down to two questions which both sides must answer to win the

debate: (1) what is the effect of social media on the quality of ideas being exchanged and (2)

Champion Briefs 23
Topic Analysis by Jakob Urda June 2021

what is the effect of social media on the composition of groups engaging in those ideas. The

positive aspects of social media are largely predicated on the arguments that well-intentioned

groups will have access to high-quality information. The basic argument against social media is

that it either spreads dangerous ideas or it exerts a negative influence on groups of people

together.

What is the impact of social media on the environment of ideas? Social media elevates

all voices by creating a common forum where an exchange is possible. This can lead to the rapid

dissemination of ordinarily taboo or controlled ideas. Through social networks ideas can be

reposted and shared at lightspeed, making it easier to propagate and take hold among the

general population. Historically the spread of ideas has been a generational process, with social

media it happens in days.

Taboo ideas can be either good or bad. In an authoritarian society democracy or human

rights can be taboo, while the reverse can be true in an open society. There is a rich history of

both good and bad ideas gaining steam over social media. Debaters must be able to weigh

between the to convince the judge that the balance favors one or the other. The impacts are

typically high magnitude, so debaters should think about probability to differentiate their

arguments. Which ideas are more likely to take hold and spread? This will be a determinative

question in many rounds.

The second question is what types of groups form in social media. This matters because

it shapes how ideas are deployed or stifled. If high-quality ideas rise to the top but the

discussants are unable or unwilling to carry them forward the point of the initial discussion is

Champion Briefs 24
Topic Analysis by Jakob Urda June 2021

moot. On the other hand, if the ideas are high quality and the actors are capable, they may be

able to bring about social change.

How does social media influence the composition of groups? First, it makes groups

larger. Social media removes the constraints of distance and allows universal membership

agnostic of geography. This can allow movements to grow in size dramatically. This can allow

people from disparate and small movements to meet each other, even if they never would have

absent social media. This can be a good thing if it brings together people with good values but

equally can bring together bigots and hatred.

Second, social media removes constraints around group membership based on peer

networks. People no longer have to "know someone" to get into a network, they just need to

find it on social media. This allows groups of people with different identities who would not

ordinarily meet each other to form groups on social media. This effect can be good or bad – it

can bring together diverse coalitions that fight for progressive change or mask the entry of

government agents to surveil dissent and quash free speech. Smart debaters will make

arguments about which types of groups are more likely and which outcomes happen as a result.

Overall, debaters will need to reckon with these two questions before delving into the

topic itself. The philosophical debate over whether or not social media empowers good ideas

and builds healthy communities will control the practical debate and relevant historical

examples. The best teams will master the interaction of these ideas – what happens if social

media spurs good ideas but bad groups, what about the opposite effect? This interaction will

play out over many debates in June.

Champion Briefs 25
Topic Analysis by Jakob Urda June 2021

Affirmative Argumentation

The affirmative side should say that social media is a vehicle for positive and high-quality

information which has the potential to uplift the human experience. Social media can spread

ideas such as democracy and freedom and build collective action networks to put change into

practice. The ability to organize and exchange ideas is integral to a free society and social media

has only enabled the next phase of democratic interconnectedness.

The key to this argument is to understand why the information from social media might

be of higher quality than information attained elsewhere. People have been exchanging ideas

for centuries, so why do they need Facebook to make it work. Social media has a few unique

advantages for the dissemination of high-quality information. First, it gets around traditional

barriers to access. For a new idea to get into a book or a newspaper, it takes time, money, and

connections. This can result in many otherwise excellent ideas being relegated to the dustbin

because they get the timing wrong or never reach the right set of ears. Social media gets

around this problem because a good idea only needs to resonate with a few people who

promote it on their own. It makes ideas more likely to succeed or fail on their merits, so the

best ideas rise to the top.

Second, social media allows people to access more data about the world around them

to inform their opinions. Traditionally, the volume of information is a big barrier to new ideas.

People only see the world through their personal experience, the nightly news, and maybe

whatever book they read. Social media floods the mind with the stories and testimonies of the

people around them helping give context to the world around us. People know what struggles

their neighbors are facing, whether distant friends have come up with good ideas, or what new

Champion Briefs 26
Topic Analysis by Jakob Urda June 2021

ideas have germinated in far-away places. By giving people access to more information we

allow people to make more complex decisions

Negative Argumentation

The negative team must make arguments that the ideas and groups promoted on social

media are not desirable. To do this, they must understand why social media is worse than

alternative forms of idea and group generation.

Social media amplified extremist voices through echo chambers and increased

connections. Ordinarily, the constraints of geography would keep people of fringe ideologies

apart and make it hard to meet up with one another. This acted as a natural check to

extremism. But social media makes it effortless to connect. This allows people of violent or

authoritarian factions to meet virtually and plan together. It also enables them to raise funds to

promote political causes and organize in-person events.

Once these groups connect, they shut out alternative sources of information. The

virality of social media limits the amount that group members spend collecting information

outside of the group. Extremist groups tend to get more extreme because they feed off of each

other and have no countervailing voices. This leads to a dangerous amplification of ideas which

can cause radicalization and violence. Without social media, members of extremist groups are

forced to interact with the rest of the public, which offers a moderating influence upon them.

Thus, social media can make hateful ideas more pernicious and trap group members in an ever-

increasing cycle of polarization which makes it impossible to see the viewpoints of the other

side.

Champion Briefs 27
Topic Analysis by Jakob Urda June 2021

This topic is expansive and touches on all the most important aspects of politics.

Debaters must delve deeply into the research to succeed. Good luck!

About Jakob Urda

Jakob grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He attends the University of Chicago, where he

will receive a BA in Political Science, and is interested in security studies and political economy.

Jakob debate for Stuyvesant High School where he won Blake, GMU, Ridge, Scarsdale,

Columbia, the NCFL national championship, and amassed 11 bids. He coached the winners of

the NCFL national tournament, Harvard, and Blake.

Champion Briefs 28
Topic Analysis by Tucker Wilke June 2021

Topic Analysis by Tucker Wilke

Resolved: In the United States, social media is beneficial for democratic values.

Introduction

As June rolls around, one of the most fun and exciting tournaments of the debate

season comes as well: NSDA Nationals. Hopefully, this tournament can provide a sense of

normalcy to debaters after a season that has been anything but, and be a fitting send-off for

the many seniors in the activity. While society has been trending towards being more virtual for

a long time, the pandemic has only accelerated that trend, with more people than ever relying

on phones and computers for classes, work, communication, and entertainment. Naturally, the

highly contested election of 2020 has forced people to consider how this increasingly virtual

world has impacted our political sphere. In that spirit, the NSDA has selected a very interesting

and relevant topic, as it is Resolved: In the United States, social media is beneficial for

democratic values. It's a resolution that seems simple at first but manages to blend a range of

intellectual topics such as politics, philosophy, and sociology with something that will be

familiar to many debaters and judges. It has a lot of ground to cover, so let's dive in!

Background and Strategy

As mentioned above, the only tournament in June is the NSDA National Tournament,

the largest postseason tournament for Public Forum. Given its unique position, there are a few

quirks of Nats that are worth discussing before the actual content of the topic.

Champion Briefs 29
Topic Analysis by Tucker Wilke June 2021

The first unique characteristic of Nationals is its prelim structure, which consists of six

randomly paired rounds, each with two judges who independently fill out ballots and are

barred from giving their decision. This means that there is no power pairing; debaters need to

win a total of 8 ballots across their six rounds to break into elimination rounds. One implication

of this system is that debaters will not be getting full feedback, so they must step up their self-

assessment skills to make sure that they are learning and improving from each round even

without knowing the results. Some judges will be amenable to giving general feedback, and

debaters should certainly take that opportunity if it arises and pay close attention to whatever

they hear. Additionally, due to its lack of disclosure and power pairings, nationals require a

different mentality than other tournaments. Debaters will often spend the first few rounds

getting a feel for the topic, and then if they lose a couple of times and find themselves on the

bubble, they will lock in. At nationals, it is impossible to know when you are on the bubble or

how well you're doing, so debaters have to treat every single round with that same intensity

since any ballot could be the difference between breaking and not.

Nationals is also known for its wide variety of judging styles, to all of which debaters

must be ready to adapt. Part of what makes Nationals so special is that it has unparalleled

geographic diversity, drawing teams from all around the country, but each regional and local

circuit carries its conventions. Debaters should always do the basics of adaptation by reading

judges' paradigms and asking any relevant questions before the round. Nationals complicate

this, however, since every room will have two judges, both of which will have their styles and

preferences, and the need for debaters to maximize the number of ballots they win means they

cannot simply disregard one of the judges in the room. That said, there are some broad

Champion Briefs 30
Topic Analysis by Tucker Wilke June 2021

strategies that debaters can employ. For one thing, judges at Nationals tend to be less technical

and more traditional compared to typical national circuit tournaments, which means that all of

the usual advice (shorter cases, no jargon, an emphasis on clarity) applies. Even if the room is

split, with one very technical and one very traditional judge, debaters should still consider

adhering to the above advice, since it is generally easier to win a ballot from a technical judge

while debating more traditionally than it is to win a ballot from a traditional judge debating very

technically, so favoring a slower, more middle of the road approach is likely to yield the best

results.

Finally, for many people, Nationals is the final tournament of their career. If this is true

for you, try to enjoy it! Even in the online environment, make time to hang out with friends,

teammates, and coaches. And try not to put too much pressure on yourself! Not long after this

tournament, the relative unimportance of competitive success will become clear, so focus on

having fun and learning as much as you can!

Moving into the analysis of the topic itself, debaters will quickly notice that this

resolution is framed a bit differently than most. Generally, PF resolutions ask whether or not

the government should implement a certain policy, or whether or not the benefits of a certain

policy or trend outweigh the harms. This time, however, the resolution asks debaters to

evaluate the benefits and harms of a certain thing, social media, concerning the specific impact

of "democratic values." This quirk will require debaters to shift the structure of their cases and

their strategy overall, especially with regard to framework. Increasingly, teams have left

framework out of their cases, since it is just generally assumed that the round will be judges on

a cost-benefit analysis, so an explicit framework is less necessary. For this topic, debaters

Champion Briefs 31
Topic Analysis by Tucker Wilke June 2021

should strongly consider placing some kind of framework in their cases. The term "democratic

values" is rather vague and open to multiple definitions, upon which the pro and con teams will

almost certainly disagree. Many rounds will likely come down to which side presents the more

persuasive definition of "democratic values." As such, debaters should start explicitly building

that definition as early as they can. First speaking teams should seize the opportunity to set the

terms for the debate from the start, and cases for the speaking teams need to present a

compelling counter to the framing done by the first speaking team, or else they will not get a

chance to do so until the second rebuttal, far too late into the round. Ultimately, whichever

team can tell the most persuasive story about what democratic values are and how social

media influences them will be the one that wins in most rounds. So, with that said, let's look at

the actual framework, and arguments, that each side will want to employ.

Affirmative Argumentation

For this topic, teams may want to work backward, thinking about specific

democratic values that they think they could effectively weigh in the later speeches, and

designing cases to access those values. In that vein, let's start with perhaps the most intuitive

democratic value: political engagement and participation. In the United States, and

democracies more broadly, the government derives its power from the consent of the

governed. At its core, what gives the U.S. Democracy its legitimacy to govern the country are

the people who elect the government into power, or the people of the nation more broadly.

Pro teams can therefore argue that increasing engagement with and participation in the

electoral process is the highest value of the U.S. Democracy since it is the value upon which the

Champion Briefs 32
Topic Analysis by Tucker Wilke June 2021

rest of the government is based. Thus, an argument showing that social media increases

engagement and participation in the political process could be weighed very persuasively.

Luckily, it is not difficult to see how that would be the case. Social media is filled with

information that helps people engage in the political process, be it Tiktoks and YouTube videos

on how to register to vote or voter outreach is done over Facebook. Especially around the time

of the 2020 General Elections, these platforms were filled with information about the

candidates and about voting, all of which serve to help people engage in the political process.

It's worth noting that youth voter turnout surged in the 2020 General Election, even during the

pandemic, and while there were likely lots of factors for that, the proliferation of election

information that helped people navigate a uniquely complex voting process certainly played a

role.1 While specific research linking social media to voter turnout is still in its infancy, debaters

should be armed with lots of examples of widely viewed videos or posts about the voting

process to show how they may have helped directly engage people. Voter turnout is the

bedrock of democracy, and, as mentioned above, is the key to its highest value, so if pro teams

can show a connection between social media and voter turnout, they will be in an excellent

position to win.

Even without a direct link into turnout, pro teams can still make arguments about

engagement in the political process more broadly as a result of social media. At this point, all

social media platforms contain an immense amount of political content. Politicians have

frequently used social media to connect with the public, as shown by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio

1 https://www.businessinsider.com/young-voters-record-voting-turnout-biden-trump-presidential-election-
2020-11

Champion Briefs 33
Topic Analysis by Tucker Wilke June 2021

Cortez doing a public Twitch stream or former President Trump’s extensive use of Twitter

during his presidency (until, of course, he was removed from the website). Traditional political

pundits may gawk at these examples, but social media has undeniably given politicians a much

more direct line of contact with their constituents than ever before. This certainly engages

people in the political system, keeps them informed on the positions of politicians, and just

generally fosters political discourse, all of which can be framed as values of a democracy. This

trend extends beyond just politicians. Social Media has become a central news source for

significant numbers of people, with Facebook and Twitter containing lots of articles, TV stations

posting videos to YouTube, or even the “Good Luck America” news series on Snapchat, which

has had episodes reach 10 million viewers.2 While con teams will certainly make arguments

about the quality of this information, the fact remains that these platforms provide a place for

large numbers of people to engage with political information that they might not otherwise.

This is especially true of Twitter, where the ability to follow specific journalists who post their

articles has bolstered the leadership of a significant number of journalists. Pro teams can

certainly argue that the political discourse and information proliferated by social media are

indeed a democratic value since the electorate needs to have ample information about the

political system and their representatives to effectively participate in the voting process, which,

as discussed earlier, is where the government's power comes from.

Further broadening what we may think of as a "democratic value," one argument pro

teams might consider surrounds the impact of social media on protests and social movements.

2 https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/snapchat-political-coverage-good-luck-america-1234732573/

Champion Briefs 34
Topic Analysis by Tucker Wilke June 2021

Protests and social movements are, after all, clear examples of political engagement and

expression, both of which are necessary for democracies. Moreover, the first amendment

guarantees the right to freedom of speech and assembly, and since the topic specifies the

United States, and given how frequently the first amendment is discussed in the broader

culture, it seems reasonable that the actions protected under the amendment are democratic

values (after all, one would certainly call a law barring free speech anti-democratic.) So, if social

media helps facilitate this kind of organization, it can be said to benefit democratic values. Once

again, it's not hard to see how social media has done this. Social media can instantaneously

connect people across the globe, allowing them to share their stories, disseminate key

information, and build a collective movement. One needs to look no further than the Black

Lives Matter movement of last year. Almost everything about the movement, from its ignition

in response to the video of the murder of George Floyd that was spread widely throughout

social media, to the highlighting of specific local organizations such as the Minnesota Freedom

Fund that became inundated with donations, to people using the #BlackLivesMatter to find and

organize protests all across the country (and even the globe) was aided and amplified by social

media. Pro teams can argue that social media, by facilitating the ability of people to protest and

push for social change, are critical for democratic values. Moreover, there is solid evidence that

voter registration surged during the height of this movement, providing another compelling link

between social media and direct engagement in the political process, even if it feels slightly less

direct.3

3 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/voter-registration-surged-during-blm-protests-study-finds-
n1236331

Champion Briefs 35
Topic Analysis by Tucker Wilke June 2021

So with all that in mind, how does a pro want to frame the round, in broad strokes?

Depending on which arguments they end up leaning on, the pro will likely want to harp on the

idea that the most important democratic values are those of political participation and

engagement, manifested through voter turnout, low barriers to political figures and

information, and extensive political discourse. They therefore will want to frame social media

apps as easily accessible platforms where people can connect with politicians, activists,

journalists, and other members of society, thereby becoming more active in the political

process. If pro can successfully establish and stick to that narrative throughout the round, they

will be in an excellent position to win. With that said, let's turn our attention to the con side, to

see how negative teams will want to frame and run the debate.

Negative Argumentation

Where affirmative teams want to highlight the increased discourse and engagement

coming from social media, negative teams will likely want to scrutinize the quality of that

discourse and show how it leads to the erosion of democratic values. Let's start once again by

considering some potential democratic values on which con teams might want to focus, this

time by breaking out those U.S. history textbooks and looking at Federalist No.10, written by

James Madison (who, being known as the "father of the constitution," seems like a good source

on democratic values). In it, Madison discusses his fear of "factions" dominating the

government, defined as robust partisan groups of "inflamed [men] with mutual animosity,"

Champion Briefs 36
Topic Analysis by Tucker Wilke June 2021

caring more about the political victory of their faction than the greater health of the society.4

This is why the constitution has so many bureaucratic hurdles and forced deliberation, as the

founders wanted to mandate deliberation, reason, and, critically, compromise among those in

power. The idea of free and open discourse leading to joint rule among those in power has

been a pillar of democratic thought for centuries. When polarization and factions reign,

compromise becomes impossible, fewer politics get passed, and people are generally more

disillusioned with government, all of which run counter to democratic values. It’s not hard to

see that the current political moment is certainly very polarized and divisive, but let’s look at

how social media has played a role in exacerbating those trends.

One way in which social media has increased polarization is through a significant siloing

of different streams of information. Be it on Twitter, Facebook, or Tiktok, social media allows

people to curate their feeds, so people who get their news from those places are going to be

seeing the news they specifically have chosen to see. People will like or follow pages and people

that they agree with and who will frame the news in a way that fits with their worldview,

creating what are known as "echo chambers" of people who all agree with each other. People

become even more fortified in their positions and hostile towards those with opposing

viewpoints since their worldview seems like the obvious conclusion based on the information

they receive. Waxing poetic for some bygone time where individuals all actively sought out

information that challenged their worldview and news stations were paragons of journalistic

integrity is silly but it seems reasonable that back when the vast majority of people were

4 https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/12/social-media-democracy/600763/

Champion Briefs 37
Topic Analysis by Tucker Wilke June 2021

getting news from the same few sources, those sources had incentives to give information that

was appealing to people of different political positions, and therefore hire staff who

represented those positions. This meant that more people would be operating from the same

information set, even if they drew different conclusions from that information, and that people

would be exposed to either opposing or more moderate viewpoints. In the era of social media,

where people can pick and choose their information feeds, more news organizations are

incentivized to cater to people of a singular political position and report news that supports

that worldview. Thus, in addition to increasing hostility and polarization, social media also

makes genuine discourse and compromise more difficult, since people of different political

positions are operating with such different sets of facts and information. All of this increases

the power of specific factions and polarization, which are very toxic to the idea of an effective,

representative democracy.

While only being exposed to information that one agrees with is certainly harmful in its

own right, its extremely pervasive effects on democracy are revealed when it is paired with

another destructive, yet seemingly opposing trend: being exposed to information that one

vehemently disagrees with. See, the way online political discourse works, and social media

more broadly, is that thoughts or articles need to be shared in some way for more people to

view them. This can come in the form of likes, comments, retweets: any kind of engagement

with the original post tells the algorithms that control these apps that the piece of content is

engaging, so it will show it to more people, continuing the cycle. If a post gets low engagement,

the algorithm will stop showing it to people, and it will die out. Thus, there is a cycle, where the

posts that garner the most engagement are shown to more and more people, thereby

Champion Briefs 38
Topic Analysis by Tucker Wilke June 2021

garnering more likes, comments, views, etc, causing even more people to see them, while the

boring posts fade away. Why is this a problem? Well, different kinds of content evoke different

emotions, and people engage with content differently depending on the emotion it evokes.

Concerningly, studies show that anger, more than any other emotion (joy, sadness, etc) causes

people to engage with a post, and therefore makes it go viral.5 This means that the kinds of

posts that are most likely to go viral, and therefore be the posts that the most people see, are

the posts that make the most people angry, causing them to share the post, comment on it, talk

to people about it, etc. This effect is purely a consequence of the intersection between our

human psychology and the algorithms that govern these social media platforms, but it has

several pernicious impacts when it comes to democratic values. After all, the kinds of content

that are going to make people angry are likely to be the most extreme positions taken by

people on either side of the political spectrum. This means that, while people spend most of

their time looking at their bubble of information, the content that they are going to see from

the opposing party is likely to be the most extreme, anger-provoking content that that side has

to offer since that is what is most likely to go viral. So instead of understanding the nuances of

the positions of those outside one's political group, people are only shown the most infuriating

aspects and egregious slip-ups from those outside one's bubble. It is not difficult to see how

this could erode democratic values. It significantly increases polarization, since each side is as

maximally angry at the other side as possible, and more extreme positions are seen as more of

the norm for each party. It makes compromise significantly more difficult since each side is

5 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-emotion-goes-viral-fastest-180950182/

Champion Briefs 39
Topic Analysis by Tucker Wilke June 2021

used to seeing the other depicted so negatively that they do not want to work with them (or do

not want to be seen publicly working with them). It also means that meaningful political

discourse is very difficult because people lack a thorough understanding of what the other side

believes and are going to have a much harder time being persuaded.

This effect does not just apply to animosity towards opposing politicians or a vague

conception of the opposing party, but also actual people. After all, the logic above applies to

nearly all content, including comments on a video or a tweet; the most infuriating comments

are the ones that get the most reactions and replies, which means more people see them and

more people reply to them, and the most infuriating replies get the most attention, so the

political discourse that people are most likely to be seeing and engaging in is the between the

most frustrated, extreme people posting the most inflammatory posts. This all may seem

immaterial, but this system that puts people in an information echo chamber of just people

they agree with and then has their limited exposure to those on the other side be the most

infuriating experience possible, people start to distrust or simply dislike people of different

political persuasions. So beyond contributing to the formation of the exact political factions

that Madison was so concerned about, social media extends those factions into the lives of

everyday people and contributed to the intense division on an interpersonal level that is so

rampant across the country. It makes political discourse nasty, and in doing so makes that kind

of discourse inaccessible for people curious about politics but who do not want to engage in its

tribal nature. These kinds of interpersonal impacts may not be the first thing that someone

thinks of when they consider democratic values, but the idea of compromise, engaging with

people across the political spectrum, and building a thoughtful, earnest, and accessible political

Champion Briefs 40
Topic Analysis by Tucker Wilke June 2021

discourse are all values that are central to the American democratic project and can be very

compelling to judges.

So where pro's link chains are rather simple but their impacts perhaps more marginal –

platforms provide access and information, which is good for democracy – con's arguments

likely require a bit more warranting and complex thought about the impacts of these social

media platforms on our political discourse and our society at large, and how those interact with

so-called "democratic values." The upside for con teams, however, is massive, as the negative

aspects of social media have the potential to do real harm, and while there may not be as many

statistics to show its subtle effects on interpersonal discourse, many judges will have personally

experienced those negative consequences. Good luck!

About Tucker Wilke

Tucker is from Westchester, New York, where he attended the Hackley School. He is

now attending Brown University, where he debates for the Brown Debating Union and studies

English and Economics. Over the course of his career, Tucker amassed 8 bids to the Tournament

of Champions. In addition, he reached the Quarterfinals at Bronx, Glenbrooks, UK, Ridge and

Princeton, Semifinals at Penn and Columbia, and championed the Scarsdale Invitational. He was

ranked as high as 7th in the country in his senior year. As a coach for Hackley, his students have

reached semifinals at Blake and Quarters at Penn.

Champion Briefs 41
General Information June 2021

General Information

Resolved: In the United States, social media is beneficial for democratic values.

Foreword: We, at Champion Briefs, feel that having deep knowledge about a topic is just as
valuable as formulating the right arguments. Having general background knowledge about the
topic area helps debaters form more coherent arguments from their breadth of knowledge. As
such, we have compiled general information on the key concepts and general areas that we feel
will best suit you for in- and out-of-round use. Any strong strategy or argument must be built
from a strong foundation of information; we hope that you will utilize this section to help build
that foundation.

Champion Briefs 43
General Information June 2021

What is Social Media?

According to the news site “The Balance”,

“Social media is any digital tool that allows users to quickly create and share content with the
public. Social media encompasses a wide range of websites and apps. Some, like Twitter,
specialize in sharing links and short written messages. Others, like Instagram and TikTok, are
built to optimize the sharing of photos and videos.

What makes social media unique is that it is both broad and relatively uncensored. While many
social media companies impose some limitations—such as taking down images that display
violence or nudity—there are much fewer limitations on what someone can share than there
with other means of mass communication like newspapers, radio stations, and television
channels.”

According to Investopedia the scale and scope of social media is expanding,

“Social media originated as a way to interact with friends and family but was later adopted by
businesses that wanted to take advantage of a popular new communication method to reach
out to customers. The power of social media is the ability to connect and share information
with anyone on Earth, or with many people simultaneously.

Globally, there are more than 3.8 billion social media users. Social media is an ever-changing
and ever-evolving field, with new apps such as TikTok and Clubhouse coming out seemingly
every year, joining the ranks of established social networks like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter,
and Instagram. By 2023, the number of social media users in the United States is forecast to
increase to approximately 257 million.”

Champion Briefs 44
General Information June 2021

How has social media changed society?

Social media is immensely powerful. It has the ability has to influence opinions and behaviors in
the physical world, which can be captured for good or bad. Some ways in which social media
has impacted society include:

- Business: Companies across the globe can now amplify their brand message to a wider
audience than they could ever dream of doing before achieving success that they could
only wish for.

- Social Expression: Social media has also made it easier for us to express ourselves. They
are numerous ways we can express ourselves, not only to our friends but to the outside
world. Whether that is through Facebook, Instagram pictures, YouTube videos, Medium
articles. Normal people now have the capacity to make their opinion known on a
massive scale.

Many of the positive and economic impacts of social media stem from the changes that it
has brought to the economic and social space.

Champion Briefs 45
General Information June 2021

What are criticisms of social media?

Some of the main criticisms of social media stem from their amplification of extremist ideology.
According to a study from The Ohio State University,

“The political landscape has been transformed by new and social media. This transformation
has resulted in an increased rise of populism around the world. Subsequently, the active role of
the audience as made possible by social media has become a great opportunity for populist
actors to spread their political messages or agendas (Moffitt, 2016). The proliferation of
populism through media is not new. Historically in Europe, the populist radical-right parties
(PRRPs) and actors have been using media (e.g., TV, radio, print press) as platforms for their
messages since World War II (Mudde, 2013). However, new and social media reache a larger
audience with political content via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Weibo (Moffitt, 2016). This
audience can now be reached at greater speeds and within a short time span (DeLuca, Lawson,
& Sun, 2013).”

Champion Briefs 46
General Information June 2021

Another common criticism is that social media creates echo chambers. Echo chambers are
places which are ideologically homogenous. This limits the amount of dialogue and discussion
which can happen, and promotes extremism. Without countervailing influence, this extremism
can fester and grow. Echo chambers are possible because people of different backgrounds do
not participates in the same social spaces, limiting their abilities to interact.

What are democratic values?

There is no one definition of democratic values. One way to examine them is to ask citizens of
democracies what their values are. One poll conducted by the Pew Research center found a
wide variety of ideals among the populous: “About eight-in-ten or more say it is very important
for the country that the rights and freedoms of all are respected (84%), officials face serious
consequences for misconduct (83%), that judges are not influenced by political parties (82%),
and that everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed (82%). Majorities place great
importance on partisan cooperation (78% very important), independent news media (76%) and
the right to peaceful protest (74%). Comparably large shares also say it is very important that

Champion Briefs 47
General Information June 2021

the government is open and transparent (74%) and that people who give a lot of money to
elected officials do not have more political influence than other people (74%).”

One can also think about foundational democratic documents and democratic political theory
to devine the nature of democratic values. One source says: “There was a time when
progressives could confidently assert their belief in an activist government which represented
the collective democratic will to alleviate suffering, combat poverty, spread wealth, ensure
access to housing, education, health care and high paying jobs, to fight discrimination, promote
free speech and the free exercise of religion, and, in the words of the United States
Constitution, to “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”

This view of government was based on quintessentially American values. We have no titles of
nobility here; rather we accept the idea that each person is “created equal,” that opportunity
should be universal, that access to opportunity should be equal, that a free and democratic
society is one that treats each person with equal concern and respect, that individuals have a
right to freedom of conscience, speech, and association, and that our government is legitimate
only if it is democratic, or “of the people, by the people, [and] for the people.”

Champion Briefs 48
General Information June 2021

Champion Briefs 49
General Information June 2021

Works Cited

Chomwa Shikati. “Ways social media has changed our society.” Medium. 2017.
https://medium.com/w-i-t/ways-social-media-has-changed-our-society-38fd4d3e5ce8

John Jones. “Social Media Effects: Hijacking Democracy and Civility in Civic Engagement.” The
Ohio State University. 2020.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7343248/#:~:text=Social%20networks
%20such%20as%20Twitter,a%20particular%20way%20of%20thinking.

Matthew Hudson. “What Is Social Media?” The Balance. 2020.

https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-is-social-media-2890301

Maya Dollarhide “Social Media.” Investopedia. 2020.

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/social-media.asp

“Views of American democratic values and principles” Pew Research Center. 2018.
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2018/04/26/2-views-of-american-democratic-
values-and-principles/

Champion Briefs 50
Pro Arguments June 2021

PRO: Social media allows for direct interaction with candidates

Argument: Because social media allows for easy communication, it allows political candidates
to directly connect and talk to their constituents.

Warrant: Voters need to interact more with candidates

Sean Bielat, 11-16-2015, "How technology is making American politics more accessible,"
TNW | Insider. 16 Nov. 2015. Web. 8 May, 2021.
https://thenextweb.com/news/how-technology-is-making-american-politics-
more-accessible

Voters’ interactions with their chosen candidates shouldn’t just go as far as electing
them to power. The wishes and opinions of the constituency should should influence
the decisions of politicians once in office. However, given the vast scope of issues to
legislate, representatives often take action outside of their area of expertise and with
little guidance from their constituents. In those cases, they are likely to either a) take
their best guess based on what they know about the issue, or be influenced by lobbyists,
b) vote with their party, or c) trade their vote for support on an issue they care about. In
a 2014 study published in Perspectives on Politics, Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page
argue that average voters have a low to nonexistent influence on public policies. “Not
only do ordinary citizens not have uniquely substantial power over policy decisions,
they have little or no independent influence on policy at all,” the authors conclude.

Warrant: Social media gives a way for constituents to meaningfully interact with candidates

Writing Staff. 8-17-2020, "How Social Media Is Shaping Political Campaigns," University
of Pennsylvania. 17 Aug. 2020. Web. 8 May, 2021.

Champion Briefs 52
Pro Arguments June 2021

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-social-media-is-shaping-
political-campaigns/

The extraordinary spend highlights just how much cash it takes to run for public office in
America and why it’s so difficult for political newcomers to gain momentum at the polls
without connections to influential donors (or in Bloomberg’s case, his own deep
pockets). The problem perpetuates through election cycles, which is why up to 90% of
incumbents are reelected in what research calls “the incumbency advantage.” But
social media has changed the game, allowing incumbents and newcomers alike to
speak directly to constituents on everything from policy to what they had for dinner.
Barack Obama was the first presidential candidate to use the medium, which was still
nascent during his 2008 bid, and Donald Trump takes to Twitter almost daily to express
himself without the filter of traditional media.

Warrant: There are specific social media sites that allow for direct interaction with candidates

Sean Bielat, 11-16-2015, "How technology is making American politics more accessible,"
TNW | Insider. 16 Nov. 2015. Web. 8 May, 2021.
https://thenextweb.com/news/how-technology-is-making-american-politics-
more-accessible

Now several sites are available that enable people to weigh in on issues to help inform
representatives’ actions, they help citizens provide more nuanced input than simply
voting once every two or four years. POPVOX is an example of a platform that allows
citizens to let legislators know exactly how they feel about a bill or issue presented
before Congress. The platform offers legislators rapid feedback and lets them better
understand the needs of their constituencies straight from the mouth of the public,

Champion Briefs 53
Pro Arguments June 2021

which helps them determine which way to vote. That said, with the current level of
technological advancement seen in the U.S., we should see even more platforms that
offer direct lines of communication between to those in power and the people who
put them there. My interaction with and feedback from everyday Americans while
running as a congressional candidate inspired me to set up the new political advocacy
channel, BuildQuorum. The platform is designed to enable people whose views may
have previously gone unheard to meaningfully engage with the policy making process
through interest articulation and aggregation.

Study: Many people follow politicians on social media

Monica Anderson. 5-19-2015. “More Americans are using social media to connect with
politicians” Fact Tank. 19 May, 2015. Web. 8 May. 2021.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/19/more-americans-are-
using-social-media-to-connect-with-politicians/

On Monday, the White House launched @POTUS, the official Twitter handle for the
commander in chief. Obama will personally oversee the account – as he remarked in his
first tweet, “Six years in, they’re finally giving me my own account.” (Until now, there
has been a @BarackObama account that was mostly managed by a group spun off from
his past campaigns.) This seems like a logical next step for an administration that from
the start embraced social media — a platform that has come to play a bigger role in how
Americans get political news and information.Overall, 16% of registered voters follow
candidates for office, political parties, or elected officials on a social networking site,
according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted during the lead-up to the 2014
midterm election. That is a 10 percentage point increase from the 2010 midterms,
when only 6% of registered voters did so.

Champion Briefs 54
Pro Arguments June 2021

Impact: Increasing interaction could increase voter participation

Danielle Root and Liz Kennedy, 7-11-2018, "Increasing Voter Participation in America,"
Center for American Progress. 11 Jul. 2018. Web. 8 May, 2021.
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/democracy/reports/2018/07/11/453
319/increasing-voter-participation-america/

In addition, eliminating ex-offender disenfranchisement laws would bring more than 6

million new voters into the electorate.6 At the same time, civic engagement tools must
be designed to encourage voting, particularly for those who have become alienated
from the democratic process and do not feel heard by their elected leaders or
represented in government. When people exercise their power as voters, they can
elect local, state, and national leaders who are responsive to and reflective of the
communities they serve. For example, in November 2017, Philadelphia voters
translated their desire for criminal justice reform by electing Larry Krasner as the city’s
new district attorney with 74 percent of the votes.7 Krasner is a vocal critic of mass
incarceration, racial bias, and corruption within the criminal justice system and recently
ended cash bail requirements for low-level offenders.8 Voters have also used their
power to diversify government bodies and make them more reflective of the broader
population, for example, by electing LGBTQ candidates and people of color.9 In one
instance, recognizing the important issues at stake in the November 2017 elections—
from immigration reform to health care to civil rights—voters in Virginia exercised their
power over government at higher rates than in past gubernatorial elections: 47.6
percent in 2017, compared with 43 percent in 2013.10 This report examines the
problem of low voter participation in America, which includes structural barriers that
keep Americans from having their voices heard as well as widespread disillusionment
with the political process. As this report shows, obstacles to voting and distrust in
government have repercussions for representational democracy, leading to
participation gaps across demographics as well as elected bodies that are
unrepresentative of the broader population of American citizens.

Champion Briefs 55
Pro Arguments June 2021

Analysis: This argument could be good to run because of its current relevance because of the
current disillusionment of many Americans about politics in America. On the other hand, the
proximity to the Trump presidency may make this argument more difficult to run convincingly
because of Trump’s use of Twitter as a weapon in his campaign. Teams who are interested in
running this argument should try to connect the increase in voter politician interaction with an
increase in voter participation (which is a much easier than connecting to an impact like
changing policy for the better)

Champion Briefs 56
Pro Arguments June 2021

PRO: Social media decreases entry barriers for political newcomers

Argument: Because of the cost of political campaigns, new candidates with less institutional
backing can enter the political sphere by utilizing social media.

Warrant: Politics is expensive

Shane Goldmacher. 10-28-2020. “The 2020 Campaign Is the Most Expensive Ever (By a
Lot)” New York Times. 28 Oct. 2020. Web. 8 May, 2021.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/28/us/politics/2020-race-money.html

The 2020 election has blown past previous records to become the most expensive
campaign in American history, with the final tally for the battle for the White House and
control of the Senate and the House expected to hit nearly $14 billion, according to new
projections made by the Center for Responsive Politics. That is double the previous high
for federal races set just four years ago. The biggest driver of political spending this year
has been — no surprise — the presidential race, as enormous sums have, in particular,
poured into supporting Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s bid to oust President Trump. Their contest
alone is projected to cost $6.6 billion — more than was spent on the White House race
and every congressional campaign combined in 2016. The surge of spending is powered
by donations at both ends of the giving spectrum as small donors, particularly online,
are playing an increasingly central role in funding campaigns. At the same time,
billionaires and multimillionaires are writing enormous checks to super PACs. Much of
the spending has gone into television ads: $1.8 billion worth of presidential race ads just
this year, according to the ad-tracking firm Advertising Analytics. The total cost of the
2016 presidential campaign, even including the primaries, was $2.4 billion.

Champion Briefs 57
Pro Arguments June 2021

Warrant: It is hard to break into the political sphere

Writing Staff. 8-17-2020, "How Social Media Is Shaping Political Campaigns," University
of Pennsylvania. 17 Aug. 2020. Web. 8 May, 2021.
https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-social-media-is-shaping-
political-campaigns/

In his short-lived campaign for president, entrepreneur and former New York City
Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent more than $1 billion of his own money before
dropping out of the race in March. More than 70% of that budget went toward
advertising. The extraordinary spend highlights just how much cash it takes to run for
public office in America and why it’s so difficult for political newcomers to gain
momentum at the polls without connections to influential donors (or in Bloomberg’s
case, his own deep pockets). The problem perpetuates through election cycles, which
is why up to 90% of incumbents are reelected in what research calls “the incumbency
advantage.” But social media has changed the game, allowing incumbents and
newcomers alike to speak directly to constituents on everything from policy to what
they had for dinner. Barack Obama was the first presidential candidate to use the
medium, which was still nascent during his 2008 bid, and Donald Trump takes to Twitter
almost daily to express himself without the filter of traditional media.

Warrant: Accessibility to social media platforms results in ease of entrance for politicians

Champion Briefs 58
Pro Arguments June 2021

Writing Staff. 8-17-2020, "How Social Media Is Shaping Political Campaigns," University
of Pennsylvania. 17 Aug. 2020. Web. 8 May, 2021.
https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-social-media-is-shaping-
political-campaigns/

A new study co-authored by Yildirim offers some answers. “Social Media and Political
Contributions: The Impact of New Technology on Political Competition,” written with
Maria Petrova and Ananya Sen, finds that political newcomers can get a substantial
boost in support by using social media channels, which cost next to nothing and are
easily tapped by anyone with an internet connection. The finding is important because
it indicates how social media can help level the playing field in politics, where money
and access to formal communication channels pose huge barriers to new entrants.
“Never have politicians been so accessible to the public,” the authors wrote in an
opinion piece for The Globe Post. Yildirim recently spoke about the researchers’ findings
during a segment of the Wharton Business Daily radio show on Sirius XM. (Listen to the
podcast at the top of this page.)

Impact: Political newcomers use social media to raise awareness for issues and gain funding

Knowledge @Wharton writers team, 09-26-2016. , "Political Newcomers: How Twitter

Can Boost Your Campaign," Knowledge@Wharton, Sep 29, 2016, Web, 11 May,
2021. https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/political-newcomers-heres-
twitter-can-boost-campaign/

Aggregate political donations for the average new politician who started a Twitter
account increased by at least $5,773, which corresponds to 2.3% of all donations
under $3,000 raised during the campaign, the researchers find. “The increase in
aggregate donations comes mostly from new donors (i.e. those who never donated to

Champion Briefs 59
Pro Arguments June 2021

this politician before) and not from repeat donors,” they write. “This suggests that
politicians may increase awareness about themselves and their policies via Twitter
and gain support from those who did not support them before.” Inexperienced
candidates received a larger bump in contributions when their tweets employed
“inclusive language” – using words like “we,” “us” or “together” rather than “I” or “me.”
The use of more emotional language also correlated with higher contributions. Gains
were also higher for politicians who tweeted more informatively or those who came
from areas with lower newspaper circulation. Finally, inexperienced Democratic
candidates saw a larger bump than inexperienced Republicans.

Analysis: This argument is particularly good for teams who feel confident arguing the idea of
why America needs political newcomers. Teams should make sure to change the scope of the
argument from presidential elections where there is very little room for newcomers because of
the scale of funding and attention necessary for success to more local elections where it is
reasonable for newcomers to gain momentum. Potential impacts for this argument could be
the discussion of newcomers typically having more progressive policies, progressives being able
to shakeup the establishment, and similar arguments.

Champion Briefs 60
Pro Arguments June 2021

PRO: Social media holds politicians accountable

Argument: The rise of social media triggers the increase in information available about political
candidates. This can be helpful to determining when candidates are unfit for office

Warrant: Accountability is important for politicians

Pew Research Center. 07-22-2019. “Americans’ struggles with truth, accuracy and
accountability” Pew Research Center. 22 Jul. 2019. Web. 12 May, 2021.
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2019/07/22/americans-struggles-with-
truth-accuracy-and-accountability/

Not only do Americans worry about made-up information and the lack of agreement
on facts, they also think that key institutional information sources withhold useful
information that could appropriately be shared with the public. A clear majority of
adults say the federal government could share more with the public than it does. Fully
69% say the federal government intentionally withholds important information from the
public that it could safely release. By contrast, 29% say the federal government publicly
releases the important information it can safely release. When asked exactly what
important information they feel the federal government withholds, the largest shares
mention domestic policy and scandals. Some 16% believe the government withholds
information about specific domestic policy-related issues, which includes issues with
climate and environment, issues with medicine and health, and government budgets.
A similar share (14%) says the government withholds information about general
government problems and scandals, such as corruption and backroom deals. The third
largest category of information adults believe the government withholds is about
specific foreign policy and homeland security issues (9%), including military matters and
terrorism.

Champion Briefs 61
Pro Arguments June 2021

Warrant: Social media provides a way to hold politicians accountable

Ben Worthy, 9-17-2015, "Social media can bring down politicians, but can it also make
politics better?," Conversation. 17 Sep. 2015. Web. 11 May, 2021.
https://theconversation.com/social-media-can-bring-down-politicians-but-can-
it-also-make-politics-better-46705

Spreading information or a message that “goes viral” is often the beginning, not the
end, of accountability. To make social media effective needs the right people, strong
networks and the right information. For every one burning issue lighting up the internet
there are probably ten damp squibs that go unnoticed. And of course the ability to
spread rumours, gossip or innuendo can undermine legal processes. Nor will all
information be there forever; Twitter recently barred a site that saved UK politicians’
deleted tweets, for example. We need the tools to hold someone to account. Few
politicians are as small, local or as easy to connect as Jun. Information will only get you
so far and political tools are needed to turn online anger into political action – whether
that’s grievance mechanisms, communication channels, disciplinary proceedings or
elections. Social media alone is not a solution, but as one part of a range of new tools to
empower citizens to hold their leaders to account – from the mainstream media to
leaks, Freedom of Information Act requests or petitions – it could provide the means to
keep governments honest and citizens engaged.

Warrant: The prevalence of social media increases accountability because of increased scrutiny

Champion Briefs 62
Pro Arguments June 2021

Diana Owen. 2017. "The New Media’s Role in Politics," OpenMind. 2017. Web. 12 May,
2021. https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/articles/the-new-media-s-role-in-
politics/

The new media trends established in the 2008 campaign have carried over to the realm
of government and politics more generally. Social media have become a pervasive
force in politics, altering the communication dynamics between political leaders,
journalists, and the public. They have opened up wider avenues for instantaneous
political discourse and debate. Research indicates that people’s access to social media
networks has a positive effect on their sense of political efficacy and tendency to
participate in politics (Gil de Zuniga, et al., 2010). However, there also has been backlash
when social media discourse has become too nasty, and users have blocked content or
dropped out of their social media networks (Linder, 2016). Social media allow people to
efficiently organize and leverage their collective influence. Thus, political leaders are
held more accountable because their actions are constantly probed on social media.

Historical precedent: Anthony Weiner

Taylor Anderson. 2017. "Social Media’s Influence,"University of Oregon. 2017. Web. 12

May, 2021. , https://blogs.uoregon.edu/carlosdanger/social-medias-influence/

During the original 2011 twitter scandal, his essential misuse of social media by public
tweeting photos instead of direct messaging them, caused his 45,100 followers to all
receive the photo, setting off a media firestorm. Claiming he was hacked, the social
media platform was almost entirely responsible for the speed at which the
information reached the public, and therefore the speed in which the photos circulated
and got into the hands of the media outlets. In the days following the lewd photos,
Weiner attempted to use the fast paced social media site to his advantage by making

Champion Briefs 63
Pro Arguments June 2021

jokes about the alleged hacking incident, causing his follower count to skyrocket. He
also joked to a POLITICO reporter, “The weiner gags never get old, I guess.” When he
admitted, however, to posting the original photos, he was so far down a road of
scandal and lying, with pages of proof, that there was no escaping the public and
media outrage. Two years after the original scandal, Weiner came back into the
spotlight to run for mayor of New York City. At the beginning, the Weiner campaign was
quite smart with their social media campaign by using YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter
to get their message across, but that all soon faltered when Weiner was again caught
using social media under a fake name to send photos to women. In those moments, his
social media platform and public relations campaign failed in a huge way, ending any
hopes he had of reclaiming his former political campaign. In addition to social media
being his own enemy, his public relations teamed gravely failed to do damage control in
attempts to save the campaign. As one made the point in a Huffington Post article, “it’s
almost as if the candidate himself has been handling the campaign’s social media work
— or, worse, it’s in the hands of an intern — because the messages have become
disjointed and horribly timed”.

Impact: Political accountability is required for preserving democracy

UN News Writers. 11-28-2011, "Political accountability central to democracy, peace and

prosperity – UN officials” UN News. 28 Nov. 2011. Web. 11 May, 2021.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2011/11/396362-political-accountability-central-
democracy-peace-and-prosperity-un-officials

“Political accountability is central to meeting the generational challenges of today’s

world. Poverty, crime and violence thrive in States that are not accountable,” Deputy
Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said in remarks to the joint hearing with the Inter-
Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the General Assembly, held at UN Headquarters.
“Countries with corrupt and repressive institutions – where the rule of law is weak –

Champion Briefs 64
Pro Arguments June 2021

face a greater risk of civil wars, criminal violence and terrorism,” she added. “This was
documented in this year’s World Bank World Development Report. “But we do not need
a study to appreciate the damage caused by repressive governments,” Ms. Migiro
continues. “The Arab Awakening was a reflection of the fundamental human longing,
especially among young people, for democracy, dignity and accountable governments.”
She stated that political accountability and democratic governance are inseparable,
and both are essential to peace, development and human rights.

Analysis: Particularly after the Trump presidency, teams can argue that it is absolutely essential
for politicians to be held accountable for their actions in order to ensure those who represent
us in the government have our interests at heart in their decision making. This argument could
be a persuasive lay argument because of its topicality. To impact this most persuasively, teams
should consider the benefits of accountability and how unaccountability may harm politics.

Champion Briefs 65
Pro Arguments June 2021

PRO: Social media is a cheap option for advertisements

Argument: Political campaigns are incredibly expensive to run but by utilizing social media to
advertise themselves as people and for more formal political ads, candidates can avoid some of
the costs of a traditional campaign.

Warrant: Political campaigns are incredibly expensive

Opensecrets.Org, 10-28-2020, "2020 election to cost $14 billion, blowing away spending
records," OpenSecrets News. 28 Oct. 2020. Web. 12 May, 2021.
https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/10/cost-of-2020-election-14billion-
update/

The total cost of the 2020 election will nearly reach an unprecedented $14 billion,
making it the most expensive election in history and twice as expensive as the
previous presidential election cycle. That’s according to an estimate from the Center
for Responsive Politics. The Center previously estimated the election would see nearly
$11 billion in total spending. But an extraordinary influx of political donations in the final
months — driven by a Supreme Court battle and closely watched races for the White
House and Senate — pushed total spending past that $11 billion figure with weeks yet
to go before Election Day. Even amid a pandemic, everyone is giving more in 2020,
from ordinary individuals making small donations to billionaires cutting eight-figure
checks to super PACs. Women are smashing donation records, and Americans are
increasingly donating to candidates who aren’t running for office in their state. “Donors
poured record amounts of money into the 2018 midterms, and 2020 appears to be a
continuation of that trend — but magnified,” said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of
the Center for Responsive Politics. “Ten years ago, a billion-dollar presidential candidate
would have been difficult to imagine. This cycle, we’re likely to see two.”

Champion Briefs 66
Pro Arguments June 2021

Warrant: Advertising is one of the largest costs for a political campaign

Mark Murray, 5-15-2020, "Projection: $6.7 billion could be spent on advertising in 2020
election," NBC News. 15 May, 2020. Web. 12 May, 2021.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/blog/meet-press-blog-
latest-news-analysis-data-driving-political-discussion-
n988541/ncrd1207951#blogHeader

Projection: $6.7 billion could be spent on advertising in 2020 election WASHINGTON —

The spread of the coronavirus has halted live campaign rallies, door-to-door organizing and
traditional sit-down interviews with candidates. But it hasn’t stopped TV, radio and digital
advertising. Far from it. Advertising Analytics projects $6.7 billion will be spent on
advertising in the 2020 election cycle. And here are some other numbers to consider via
Advertising Analytics: So far, a cumulative $2.19 billion has been spent during the 2020
cycle. This is over $1 billion more than what was spent at this point in 2016 and 2018
Excluding Michael Bloomberg, the $1.58 billion spent so far is nearly 2 times that of any
other cycle In 2016 and 2018, 54 percent of the cycle’s total cash was spent in the final 10
weeks $443 million has already been reserved for the Fall of 2020

Warrant: Social media is a less expensvie way for some candidates

Writing Staff. 8-17-2020, "How Social Media Is Shaping Political Campaigns," University
of Pennsylvania. 17 Aug. 2020. Web. 8 May, 2021.
https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-social-media-is-shaping-
political-campaigns/

If video killed the radio star, as the 1980 pop song declared, will Facebook kill nationally
televised debates or news interviews that are the hallmark of old-school political

Champion Briefs 67
Pro Arguments June 2021

campaigns? Probably not. As Yildirim pointed out, organic coverage from newspapers or
television stations is free and reaches a wide audience. And while costly, paid
advertising allows candidates to target a specific message to a specific audience.
However, so does social media. It cannot be discounted as a low-cost, powerful tool in
political competition. “You don’t have to have the big money, big bucks, big
fundraisers, big supporters to be able to communicate on Twitter with your
constituency and tell them about what your ideas are for the future,” Yildirim noted.
“You can tell them about who you are, what your values are, and this is typically what
we see politicians do. They talk about themselves. They talk about their dog, they talk
about their favorite sports team, they talk about their favorite place to go in the
neighborhood. Of course, you can always talk about your policies and what you hope to
achieve if you were elected into an office. And you can do this way before you officially
declare running for an office.”

Warrant: Groups are being created to make social media advertising for politicians easier

Crowdpac, 10-7-2020, "Crowdfunding Platform Crowdpac is the Social Network for

Politics," Cision PR Newswire. 7 Oct. 2020. Web. 12 May,
2021.https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/crowdfunding-platform-
crowdpac-is-the-social-network-for-politics-301147844.html

A month ahead of the November election and on the day of the Vice-Presidential
debate, political crowdfunding platform Crowdpac announced a robust set of new
features, squarely establishing itself as the only social network exclusively for politics.
Beginning today, Crowdpac users can follow, engage, and communicate with other users,
as well as campaigns or causes of interest to them, without leaving the platform. In
addition, campaigns now have access to new tools to identify and communicate with
supporters. "As the 2020 election enters the crucial final phase, people are tired of being
bombarded with political messaging on traditional social networks," said Royal Kastens,

Champion Briefs 68
Pro Arguments June 2021

CEO of Crowdpac. "People are also exhausted by those around them posting all the time,
while doing nothing. On Crowdpac, you can not only post, but you can actually do
something just like our 4 million members who have been effecting change since 2014."
In addition to launching its new social network features, Crowdpac added tools to make it
easier for campaigns to reach potential donors and voters. With Crowdpac Share, new
share buttons have been added to all campaign pages. With one click, members and
campaigns can share to their networks within Crowdpac, by SMS, email, and Twitter,
Facebook, and all other major social networks. Candidates can now upload email and
phone numbers and send free emails and SMS texts directly from their Crowdpac
dashboard.

Impact: Using social media as advertisement can raise money effectively

Writing Staff. 8-17-2020, "How Social Media Is Shaping Political Campaigns," University
of Pennsylvania. 17 Aug. 2020. Web. 8 May, 2021.
https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-social-media-is-shaping-
political-campaigns/

Beyond communicating their policy views, new candidates can humanize themselves
through their social media accounts, and that helps voters feel more connected to them.
For example, former Democratic presidential contender Pete Buttigieg introduced his
shelter dogs to his 2 million Twitter followers, while U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren used
her Instagram account to chat live with supporters who made small contributions to
her presidential campaign. Those small contributions – often between $5 to $100 –
seem unlikely to move the needle in a multimillion-dollar political campaign. But the
researchers said they are an important part of the voting process because they
represent hope. “There’s this idea that if there are many of us just donating in small
amounts, eventually that will turn into a sea of donations, and that could help this

Champion Briefs 69
Pro Arguments June 2021

person to get elected down the road,” Yildirim said. “So, donations are very
meaningful in a number of ways.”

Analysis: Neg teams will immediately start arguing that social media advertising is quickly
becoming the old television advertising, therefore inflating the price of social media ads. It is
important to establish both what you are defining as an advertisement (strategically it may
benefit you to include things like instagram lives and other casual things that engage voters)
and also what the goal of advertising is (probably fundraising). If you get ahead of these
arguments, aff teams could have a persuasive pathway to the ballot by arguing that social
media is essential to keeping costs down, especially in local elections.

Champion Briefs 70
Pro Arguments June 2021

PRO: Social media makes protests easier

Argument: Social media makes it easier for people to protest on the platform and also organize protests
in person as well.

Warrant: Social media has recently increased activism

Rosenblatt, Kalhan. “How 2020 Became the Summer of Activism Both Online and Offline.” NBC
News, 26 Sept. 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/summer-digital-
protest-how-2020-became-summer-activism-both-online-n1241001.

The summer was marked by a surging movement of activism calling for social change but with
the coronavirus pandemic affecting how people interact with one another, many of these calls
to action took place online. Social movements fueled by social media are not new, according
to Alyssa Bowen, a doctoral candidate in history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, with an expertise as a historian of global contemporary social movements. She pointed to
the Arab Spring and the Occupy Wall Street movements, both of which occurred in the early
2010s, as predecessors of 2020s progression into digital activism. And with the pandemic
forcing people into their homes, oftentimes they could watch a protest against the president
or a protest for Black Lives Matter unfold in real time. “You’re seeing people staying at home
without a ton to do except watch Netflix and go on Twitter, and I think people took great notice
of what's going on even more than usual, because they had real-time access to what was going
on at the protests,” Bowen said.

Warrant: Social media provides a platform for galvanizing protestors

Herrera, Sarah E. Needleman and Sebastian. “Social Media Becomes Battleground Over Days of
Street Protests.” Wall Street Journal, 2 June 2020. www.wsj.com,
https://www.wsj.com/articles/social-media-becomes-battleground-over-days-of-street-
protests-11591018647.

Champion Briefs 71
Pro Arguments June 2021
Social media has become a central battleground for the protests across the U.S., with tech
platforms amplifying tensions while also providing a real-time chronicle of the riots and police
responses that might not have otherwise gained widespread attention. A lone video of the
violent arrest that led to the death of George Floyd posted last Monday on Facebook by a
bystander, Darnella Frazier, has been shared by 52,000 people there and found its way to
Twitter , Instagram and other social platforms, widening awareness of the episode. Since then,
those outlets have been a tool to spread dissent and anger by those upset at Mr. Floyd’s death
and those disturbed by the sometimes violent actions of both protesters and police in cities
across the country. Social media played a critical role in galvanizing the protesters through the
quickly shared video around Mr. Floyd’s arrest, said Alex Stamos, director of Stanford
University’s Internet Observatory. “It nationalizes local issues like this,” he said, adding that
“maybe 20 years ago this might have only been covered at the local press.”

Warrant: Social media is used to engage in protests directly on the platform

McKeon, Robin Tamarelli, and Drew H. Gitomer. “Social Media, Political Mobilization, and High-
Stakes Testing.” Frontiers in Education, vol. 4, Frontiers, 2019. Frontiers,
doi:10.3389/feduc.2019.00055.

Social media posts in a Facebook group organized around the issue of refusing high-stakes
testing in New Jersey were analyzed to understand how individuals and organizations use
social media to engage in political protest against educational policies. Facebook posts were
categorized by their theme (reasons for opposing high-stakes testing), whether they discussed
political protest tactics (both traditional and virtual), and whether they contained web links to
other social media sites. Interviews with Test Refusal Movement participants were conducted
to supplement the Facebook analysis by providing a more nuanced understanding of how
movement participants navigate online affinity spaces and how new forms of protest have
transformed but not replaced traditional political protest against policies.

Impact: Protests impact every facet of American democracy

Champion Briefs 72
Pro Arguments June 2021
Gillion, Daniel. Why Protests Matter in American Democracy. 2 June 2020,
https://press.princeton.edu/ideas/why-protests-matter-in-american-democracy.

As protests continue nationwide in honor of George Floyd and to express outrage with systemic
racism, it remains to be seen how the current civil unrest will shape democracy long term, and
impact voting in the fall. The “silent majority”—a phrase coined by Richard Nixon in 1969 in
response to Vietnam War protests and later used by Donald Trump as a campaign slogan—
refers to the supposed wedge that exists between protestors in the street and the voters at
home. The Loud Minority by Daniel Q. Gillion upends this view by demonstrating that voters
are in fact directly informed and influenced by protest activism. Consequently, as protests
grow in America, every facet of the electoral process is touched by this loud minority,
benefiting the political party perceived to be the most supportive of the protestors’
messaging. Read a free sample of Gillion’s important book here.

Analysis: This is a good argument because protests can change policy significantly as well as get
people out to vote. This is important because it links into almost any framework that the con
could provide. If the con tries to focus on policy, protests improve that. If the con tries to focus
on democratic participation, protests can improve that too.

Champion Briefs 73
Pro Arguments June 2021

PRO: Social media increases political advertisements

Argument: Social media provides another avenue for politicians to reach voters through
advertisements.

Warrant: Facebook is removing its ban on political advertisements

Hutchinson, Andrew. “Facebook Will Lift Its Temporary Ban on Political Ads Later This Week.”
Social Media Today, 3 Mar. 2021, https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/facebook-
will-lift-its-temporary-ban-on-political-ads-later-this-week/596084/.

Facebook has announced that it will allow political ads on its platform once again from
Thursday this week, following last year's ban on political promotions in the lead-up to the
2020 US Presidential Election. As noted, Facebook first announced a ban on all political ads for
the final week leading into the poll, in order to avoid any misuse of political messaging to
interfere with the voting process. While the election results remained in doubt, Facebook kept
that ban in place, then the Capitol riots prompted Facebook to maintain that hold even longer
than it had originally intended. So now, more than three months after the poll, political ads will
return to The Social Network. But is that a good thing? It's hard to say whether political ads
should be allowed on Facebook, from a societal benefit perspective, because while Facebook's
advanced audience targeting options, and massive reach, have provided significant benefit for
those looking to utilize division and angst in their campaigns, the platform also makes it more
affordable for smaller players to gain traction, and connect with their prospective constituents.

Warrant: Online political advertisements have increased dramatically

Nott, Lata. “Political Advertising on Social Media Platforms.” American Bar Association, 26 June
2020,
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine_home
/voting-in-2020/political-advertising-on-social-media-platforms/.

Champion Briefs 74
Pro Arguments June 2021
Political advertising is a form of campaigning that allows candidates to directly convey their
message to voters and influence the political debate. By running ads on various types of media,
candidates can reach audiences that otherwise may not have been paying attention to the
election and build name recognition, highlight important issues, and call attention to the
shortcomings of their opponents. In the past, the vehicles for political ads were newspapers,
direct mail, radio, and television. In 2008, Barack Obama became one of the first candidates to
use social media advertising in his campaign. That year, 2008, candidates spent a total of
$22.25 million on online political ads. Since then, online political advertising on has
exploded—in 2016, candidates spent $1.4 billion on them. In the aftermath of the 2016
presidential election, the public became aware of just how powerful and game changing
political advertising on social media could be. Brad Parscale, the Trump campaign’s digital
strategist, tweeted that their campaign on Facebook was “100x to 200x” more efficient than the
Clinton campaign. The reason for this became clear after whistleblower Christopher Wylie
revealed that the Trump campaign’s data analytics team, Cambridge Analytica, “used personal
information taken without authorisation in early 2014 to build a system that could profile
individual U.S. voters, in order to target them with personalised political advertisements.”

Warrant: Social media advertisements reduce incumbent advantage

Yildirim, Pinar. “How Social Media Is Shaping Political Campaigns.” Knowledge@Wharton, 17

Aug. 2020, https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-social-media-is-shaping-
political-campaigns/.

In his short-lived campaign for president, entrepreneur and former New York City Mayor
Michael Bloomberg spent more than $1 billion of his own money before dropping out of the
race in March. More than 70% of that budget went toward advertising. The extraordinary spend
highlights just how much cash it takes to run for public office in America and why it’s so
difficult for political newcomers to gain momentum at the polls without connections to
influential donors (or in Bloomberg’s case, his own deep pockets). The problem perpetuates
through election cycles, which is why up to 90% of incumbents are reelected in what research
calls “the incumbency advantage.” But social media has changed the game, allowing
incumbents and newcomers alike to speak directly to constituents on everything from policy

Champion Briefs 75
Pro Arguments June 2021
to what they had for dinner. Barack Obama was the first presidential candidate to use the
medium, which was still nascent during his 2008 bid, and Donald Trump takes to Twitter almost
daily to express himself without the filter of traditional media.

Impact: Advertising increases participation and information among the public

Freedman, Paul, et al. “Campaign Advertising and Democratic Citizenship.” American Journal of
Political Science, Oct. 2004, p. 19. https://www.bowdoin.edu/~mfranz/Freedman-Franz-
Goldstein.pdf.

Concern about the state of American democracy is a staple of political science and popular
commentary. Critics warn that levels of citizen participation and political knowledge are
disturbingly low and that seemingly ubiquitous political advertising is contributing to the
problem. We argue that political advertising is rife with both informational and emotional
content and actually contributes to a more informed, more engaged, and more participatory
citizenry. With detailed advertising data from the 2000 election, we show that exposure to
campaign advertising produces citizens who are more interested in the election, have more to
say about the candidates, are more familiar with who is running, and ultimately are more
likely to vote. Importantly, these effects are concentrated among those citizens who need it
most: those with the lowest pre-existing levels of political information.

Analysis: This is a good argument because it impacts to more people participating in

democracy. This can be argued to be a prerequisite to any other impact because it is
impossible for other changes to democracy to manifest if people are not turning out to the
polls. Thus, the weighing in this argument is quite compelling against almost any con argument.

Champion Briefs 76
Pro Arguments June 2021

PRO: Social media increases youth political awareness

Argument: Social media allows young people to participate in politics more easily, which increases their
democratic participation.

Warrant: Young people are very likely to use social media for political participation

Kahne, Joseph. “Social Media Power Youth Political Participation.” Mills College, 26 June 2012,
https://phys.org/news/2012-06-social-media-power-youth-political.html.

The national survey questioned 3,000 young people, ages 15-25 on how they use the Internet,
social media and engage in politics. Unlike any prior study on the topic, the YPP survey included
large numbers of black, Latino, and Asian American respondents, allowing for unique statistical
comparisons across race. The data present one of the most complete pictures to date of how
young people are using new media in new ways to engage politically, providing relevant insights
on both the long-term political picture in America and the upcoming 2012 election. The study
report, Participatory Politics: New Media and Youth Political Action shows that contrary to the
traditional notion of a technological digital divide, substantial numbers of young people across
racial and ethic groups are engaging in "participatory politics" — acts such as starting a
political group online, circulating a blog about a political issue, or forwarding political videos
to friends. Like traditional political acts, these acts address issues of public concern. The
difference is that participatory acts are interactive, peer-based, and do not defer to elites or
formal institutions. They are also tied to digital or new media platforms that facilitate and
amplify young people's actions.

Warrant: Social media can provide opportunities for political participation

Ahmad, Taufiq, et al. “The Use of Social Media on Political Participation Among University
Students: An Analysis of Survey Results From Rural Pakistan.” SAGE Open, vol. 9, no. 3,
SAGE Publications, July 2019, p. 2158244019864484. SAGE Journals,
doi:10.1177/2158244019864484.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244019864484

Champion Briefs 77
Pro Arguments June 2021

Over the last decade, extensive literature has been published regarding social media effects
on real-life political participation. Many argue that social media stimulates online and offline
political participation. This study investigates how online political activities impact political
efficacy and real-life political participation among university students in rural Pakistan. In
addition, this study also sheds light on the relationship between political activities and political
awareness. We conducted an online survey of (N = 200) male and female undergraduate and
graduate students from the University of Narowal, Pakistan. We used Qualtrics software to
distribute our survey among students for data-collection purposes. The results reveal that the
majority of the students use social media for political awareness and information. Political
efficacy is significantly based on online political participation. In addition to that, social media
is a vital platform for netizens to participate in real-life political activities. In conclusion, the
findings of the study suggest that online political activities strongly correlate to political
awareness and offline political participation. In rural areas of Pakistan, the younger generations
are very active on social media to participate in online and offline political happenings.

Warrant: Social media creates social ties which increase political participation

Bowyer, Benjamin. “The Political Significance of Social Media Activity and Social Networks.”
Political Communication, vol. 35, no. 3, Routledge, July 2018, pp. 470–93. Taylor and
Francis+NEJM, doi:10.1080/10584609.2018.1426662.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10584609.2018.1426662

This paper examines panel data from two waves of the Youth Participatory Politics Survey, a
nationally representative sample of young people in the United States. It employs a cross-lagged
design to investigate the extent to which common forms of online activity create pathways to
online and offline forms of political activity. Specifically, we examine the influence of
Friendship-Driven (FD) and Interest-Driven (ID) online activity on online participatory politics
and on offline forms of political action. Our findings reveal that FD and ID activity relate to
political engagement, but in different ways. In addition, we find that the size of young
people’s social networks interacts with both FD and ID online activity to promote political
activity. This indicates that having exposure to “weak-ties” (resulting from large social

Champion Briefs 78
Pro Arguments June 2021
networks) promote higher levels of political engagement. These findings demonstrate the need
to specify the kinds of online activities in which youth are engaged and, more broadly, the
political significance of social media and social networks

Impact: Youth political participation is essential for a representative democracy

Chianese, Carla. “The Importance of Youth Participation in Formal Political Processes .” Electoral
Knowledge Project, 2018, https://aceproject.org/ace-en/topics/yt/yt10/yt210/the-
importance-of-youth-participation-in-formal.

For political systems to be representative, all parts of society must be included. When young
people are disenfranchised or disengaged from political processes, a significant portion of the
population has little or no voice or influence in decisions that affect group members’ lives. A
key consequence is the undermining of political systems’ representativeness. To make a
difference in the longer term, it is essential that young people are engaged in formal political
processes and have a say in formulating today’s and tomorrow’s politics. Inclusive political
participation is not only a fundamental political and democratic right but also is crucial to
building stable and peaceful societies and developing policies that respond to the specific needs
of younger generations. For young people to be adequately represented in political institutions,
processes, and decision-making, and in particular in elections, they must know their rights and
be given the necessary knowledge and capacity to participate in a meaningful way at all levels.

Analysis: This is a good argument because the impact is very long term. Even if the con proves
that social media is bad for politics right now, in the long run it is essential for getting the next
generation of voters to participate in politics. Thus, this allows you to outweigh almost any con
argument on time frame.

Champion Briefs 79
Pro Arguments June 2021

PRO: Social media increases voter turnout

Argument: Social media allows people to get more access to political opinions and information, which
might inspire them to act politically.

Warrant: Social media promotes voter turnout among young people

Kurkjian, Noah. Youth Voting Population Mobilized by Social Media. 27 Oct. 2020,
https://fsutorch.com/2020/10/27/youth-voting-population-mobilized-by-social-media/.

The 2020 general election is expected to have the largest youth voter turnout in decades.
Some are crediting this influx in participation to social media and its massive influence. With
both candidates having a large social media presence, Joseph Biden has a combined 20 million
followers and incumbent Donald Trump boasts a massive 140 million combined followers, they
both have significant reach. But followers aren’t the only thing that matters. How the
candidates use their platform matters just as much, and a lot of young voters find some of
their behavior off-putting. “They are using twitter for their little wars, and it honestly looks
immature for 70-something year old’s,” nuclear medical technology sophomore Brynn
Krzyminski said. “They should be using their large platforms to inform instead of to cut down.”

Warrant: Social media allowed people to watch each other vote during the pandemic

Procaccia, Ariel. “Opinion | Social Media May Have Contributed to Record Voter Turnout in the
2020 Election.” Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2020. www.washingtonpost.com,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/11/27/social-media-probably-
contributed-record-voter-turnout-2020-election/.

But how can such a hypothesis be tested? Funk points out that social pressure is known to be
strongest in small communities, where people are more likely to gossip about their neighbors’
virtues and vices. If the desire to be seen voting did significantly contribute to turnout, we would
expect the introduction of mail-in voting to have a less positive impact on turnout the smaller
the community is. Funk finds that this is indeed the case by analyzing several decades’ worth of

Champion Briefs 80
Pro Arguments June 2021
federal elections in Switzerland, where different cantons (the Swiss equivalent of states)
introduced mail-in voting at different times. In fact, while overall turnout slightly increased with
mail-in voting, in certain small communities the option to vote by mail decreased turnout.
Nowadays the online world is home to millions of small communities; Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter and other platforms have become social pressure-cookers. Especially in this pandemic-
burdened time of homemade bread, homemade haircuts and homemade ballots (of the
legitimate variety), social media gave America a socially distanced opportunity to make voting
observable again. And voters could influence their friends to vote too, while they were at it. In
2020, a time-honored system of democracy may have thrived, against all odds, thanks in part
to social media. It would be just another irony in a year that has had more than its fair share.

Warrant: Efforts to spread the word about voting on social media have increased turnout

Bond, Robert M., et al. “A 61-Million-Person Experiment in Social Influence and Political
Mobilization.” Nature, vol. 489, no. 7415, Sept. 2012. PubMed Central,
doi:10.1038/nature11421. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11421

To put these results in context, it is important to note that turnout has been steadily increasing
in recent US midterm elections, from 36.3% of the voting age population in 2002 to 37.2% in
2006, and to 37.8% in 2010. Our results suggest that the Facebook social message increased
turnout directly by about 60,000 voters and indirectly through social contagion by another
280,000 voters, for a total of 340,000 additional votes. That represents about 0.14% of the
voting age population of about 236 million in 2010. However, this estimate does not include
the effect of the treatment on Facebook users who were registered to vote but who we could
not match because of nicknames, typographical errors, and so on. It would be complex to
estimate the number of users on Facebook who are in the voter record but unmatchable, and it
is not clear whether treatment effects would be of the same magnitude for these individuals, so
we restrict our estimate to the matched group that we were able to sample and observe. This
means it is possible that more of the 0.60% growth in turnout between 2006 and 2010 might
have been caused by a single message on Facebook.

Impact: Higher voter turnout leads to more pro-poor policies

Champion Briefs 81
Pro Arguments June 2021

McElwee, Sean. “Why Increasing Voter Turnout Affects Policy.” The Atlantic, 15 Sept. 2015,
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/why-non-voters-
matter/405250/.

One researcher, for example, found that higher turnout among the wealthy changes the
legislative agenda: Policymakers spend less time on bills relating to housing, welfare and
healthcare. They’re also likely to pass anti-predatory lending statutes, expand children’s health
insurance, or increase the minimum wage. Conversely, another study finds that higher turnout
among the poor leads to higher spending on welfare programs. Counties with higher turnout
receive more funding from the federal government, while districts with lower turnout have
less influence on the policy positions taken by their representatives.

Analysis: This is a good argument because the impact can outweigh all others since voter
turnout is a prerequisite to democratic practices succeeding. Unless people vote, democracy
cannot function. This means that no matter your opponent’s impact, increasing turnout is
necessary for it to manifest in the first place.

Champion Briefs 82
Pro Arguments June 2021

PRO: Social media improves social movements

Argument: Social media allows members of social movements to communicate with each other and
spread the word.

Warrant: Recent events have proven the importance of social media in social movements

Granillo, Gabriel. “The Role of Social Media in Social Movements.” Portland Monthly, 10 June
2020, https://www.pdxmonthly.com/news-and-city-life/2020/06/the-role-of-social-
media-in-social-movements.

The video of Floyd’s killing on May 25 circulated through social media, and since then, formed
an uprising, taking the shape of mass protests against police brutality and systemic racism,
largely organized online. In the days that have followed, we’ve seen handfuls of social media
campaigns, including Blackout Tuesday, which, while poised to highlight Black voices, raised
concerns that it actually drowned out important information and updates for protesters.
Social networks have become hotbeds for liking, commenting on, and sharing information—
what some might call “slacktivism”—on local Black Lives Matter protests, guides for folks
looking to become allies in the fight against racial injustice, and political debates about race and
equality in America. From documenting and sharing unfiltered images and videos of police
violence to inciting legislative changes from local leaders, social media’s role in prompting and
sustaining social movements cannot be understated, and it highlights the importance of
maintaining a free and democratic virtual space.

Warrant: Social media is a platform for political activity

Anderson, Monica. “Activism in the Social Media Age.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science &
Tech, 11 July 2018, https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/07/11/public-
attitudes-toward-political-engagement-on-social-media/.

Social media use has grown rapidly over the last decade. Today, Americans use a range of
social media sites and are increasingly turning to these platforms to get news and

Champion Briefs 83
Pro Arguments June 2021
information. Social networking sites have also emerged as a key venue for political debate and
discussion and at times a place to engage in civic-related activities. One of the most prominent
recent examples is the role social media has played in the emergence of the “Me Too”
movement aimed at raising awareness around sexual harassment and assault. And July 2018
marks the fifth anniversary of the use of the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag, one of the most
sustained efforts during this time to bring attention to a cause using social media platforms. In
light of these and other debates about the impact of social media, the Center fielded a survey
to assess the current state of Americans’ experiences with and views related to political
engagement on social media.

Warrant: Social media help social movements mobilize people to join

Hwang, Hyesun, and Kee-Ok Kim. “Social Media as a Tool for Social Movements: The Effect of
Social Media Use and Social Capital on Intention to Participate in Social Movements.”
International Journal of Consumer Studies, vol. 39, no. 5, June 2015, pp. 478–88. Wiley
Online Library, doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12221.

Social media provide a participatory media environment based on the interactive Web 2.0
platform. This feature makes social media an effective tool for mobilizing people to
participate in social movements. This study verified the role of social media in promoting the
intention to participate in social movements. Participation intent was higher among those who
were more involved in social media. The findings showed that social media improved the social
capital which moderates the relationship between social media use and social movement
participation. The result of the hierarchical regression shows that bridging social capital had a
significant effect on the intention to participate in social movements. Further, a moderating
effect from bridging social capital was verified; the intent to engage in social participation was
higher among social media users possessing a well-developed network.

Impact: Social movements keep elected leaders in check

Burcher, Catalina. “Social Movements Are Here to Stay – a Part of Our Democratic Way of Life |
International IDEA.” International Democracy and Electoral Assistance, 23 Jan. 2017,

Champion Briefs 84
Pro Arguments June 2021
https://www.idea.int/news-media/news/social-movements-are-here-stay-%E2%80%93-
part-our-democratic-way-life.

Social movements are often issue-based collections of individuals. Sometimes they take their
voices to the streets espousing particular political ideals and, at times, influencing policy from
the outside, without being democratically elected. Thus, social movements can put in check
democratically elected political leaders with populist and demagogical tendencies that may, in
the long run, not provide realistic and sustainable policy alternatives. Social movements are
shaping modern democratic political life. The ‘Occupy Wall Street’ and related ‘Occupy’
movements are good examples. Propelled by a blog post in the aftermath of the 2008 financial
crisis, the movements soon became a media sensation and later disseminated to other regional
hubs. In the United States, many of the original protesters eventually supported Bernie
Sanders’s 2016 surprisingly successful presidential bid.

Analysis: This is a good argument because it provides an alternative method of democratic

participation other than merely voting. While most con arguments will likely focus on voting as
an impact to democracy, protests and social movements offer another way for people to
become active in democracy. Even if fewer people express themselves in the ballot box,
politicians still have a hard time ignoring strong social movements.

Champion Briefs 85
Pro Arguments June 2021

PRO: Social Media Increases Productive Debate

Argument: Social media fosters dialogue

Warrant: Social media provides new methods of connection

Makana Shultz “Why is social media a beneficial relationship building tool?.” Michigan
State University.
2014. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/why_is_social_media_a_beneficial_relat
ionship_building_tool

“How can social networks help with the process of building healthy working
relationships? Social networks present great opportunities for professionals to publicly
recognize successes of parties in the relationship. This increases that party's sense of
belonging, self-worth and security, in turn, makes them more comfortable and more
likely to invest in your relationship. Another key opportunity provided by social
networking is authenticity. Others can utilize your social media pages to determine
more information about you as an individual. This helps to reassure others the story
you are telling about yourself is genuine, and as a result, the connections you make are
as meaningful as face-to-face relationships.”

Warrant: Social media allows people to build a large host of connections

Makana Shultz “Why is social media a beneficial relationship building tool?.” Michigan
State University.
2014. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/why_is_social_media_a_beneficial_relat
ionship_building_tool

Champion Briefs 86
Pro Arguments June 2021

“A great thing about social media is that it allows you access to both your strong and
weak connections. Increasing the spectrum of possible connections can help
individuals and organizations identify specific parties with shared interests or goals,
experience solving similar challenges, or even developed tools or methods for
completing a mutual task. Consider all the connections you have online through social
networks and then think about the connections of your connections: the possibilities for
collaboration are endless!"

Example: Social media dialogue brought about the arab spring

“A Guide to Activism in the Digital Age” Maryville University.

2014. https://online.maryville.edu/blog/a-guide-to-social-media-activism/

“Studies on the Arab Spring protests discuss the use of social media in these events
and their effects on the internal populations of the involved countries, as well as the
global awareness that citizen journalism created through the sharing of posts, photos,
and videos. Facebook pages and groups created spaces for gathering and community
building, sharing stories and information on the ground, and organization for protests in
real time. Studies found that though social media helped spark many of the protests
through online mobilization, its greatest impact was “acting more as a megaphone than
a rallying cry.” The dissemination of information by sharing local self-generated news
translating into mass and international media brought the issues and events into the
global discussion. This resulted in international pressure against the violent reactions
of autocratic regimes to protesters..””

Impact: Social media allows activists to share lived experiences

“A Guide to Activism in the Digital Age” Maryville University.

2014. https://online.maryville.edu/blog/a-guide-to-social-media-activism/

Champion Briefs 87
Pro Arguments June 2021

“Many social justice causes work to build equity for minorities and underrepresented
individuals and groups within society. The stories and struggles of minorities often
aren’t well known or publicized, but social media can provide a platform to amplify
and share them with potentially millions of people across the globe. This exposure
helps share lived experiences about racial violence, sexual harassment, and other forms
of oppression directly from the underrepresented..”

Analysis: Make the case that in terms of quantitative interactions, social media actually helps
people build new connections and friendships.

Champion Briefs 88
Pro Arguments June 2021

PRO: Social Media Creates Spaces for Open Debate

Argument: Social media is an open forum where people of different ideas can come together
and conduct dialogue

Warrant: Social media allows people to have open discussions

Collette Snowden. “I’m right, you’re wrong, and here’s a link to prove it: how social
media shapes public debate” The Conversation. 2015.
https://theconversation.com/im-right-youre-wrong-and-heres-a-link-to-prove-it-
how-social-media-shapes-public-debate-65723

“Social media has revolutionized how we communicate. In this series, we look at how it
has changed the media, politics, health, education and the law. Once upon a time
different political perspective were provided to the public by media reporting, often
through their own painstaking research. If an issue gained attention, several
perspectives might compete to inform and shape public opinion. It often took decades
for issues to make the transition from the margin to the centre of politics. Now, within
minutes of any event, announcement or media appearance, we are able to get those
perspectives thousands of times instantly via social media. There are constant
reactions and debates, often repeating the same arguments and information.”

Warrant: Social media amplified marginalized voices

Collette Snowden. “I’m right, you’re wrong, and here’s a link to prove it: how social
media shapes public debate” The Conversation. 2015.
https://theconversation.com/im-right-youre-wrong-and-heres-a-link-to-prove-it-
how-social-media-shapes-public-debate-65723

Champion Briefs 89
Pro Arguments June 2021

“The level of hostility encountered in many debates is a powerful deterrent for many.
Nonsense and profundity, truth and fabrication, have equal rights on social media. It can
be a frustrating and bewildering place, and a great waster of time. Nonetheless, with
the dedication and commitment of a few passionate supporters, small and more
marginalised groups are able to create a public presence that previously would have
required years to establish through community meetings, lecture tours, fundraising
events and lobbying.
A group like the Free West Papua movement, established in 1965 but outlawed by the
Indonesian government, has successfully used social media to generate global
support. Other cause-related issues – such as animal-rights activism – that were
previously confined to the margins of public attention have benefited from the greater
reach social media allows.”

Warrant: Social media has become a powerful force in policy debate

Collette Snowden. “I’m right, you’re wrong, and here’s a link to prove it: how social
media shapes public debate” The Conversation. 2015.
https://theconversation.com/im-right-youre-wrong-and-heres-a-link-to-prove-it-
how-social-media-shapes-public-debate-65723

“Communications technology has also enabled social media to amplify many debates
about long-standing issues, such as domestic violence, by allowing people to share
their stories and engage in debates. These in turn can place pressure on politicians to
act and contribute to critical offline discussions. Just how powerful is it? The influence
of social media on politics and public perception is indisputable, but the extent of that
influence is yet to be determined. While social media was initially dismissed by some
politicians as trivial, few make that argument now. Social media analytics are scrutinised
with the same intensity as polls, and politicians and political parties follow social media
exchanges closely..”

Champion Briefs 90
Pro Arguments June 2021

Warrant: Social media debates allow for political change

Melissa Spinner. “The Effects of Social Media on Democratization.” CUNY. 2012.

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1109&context=cc_
etds_theses

“The Internet is not the first technology associated with freedom. Previous inventions
such as the printing press, telegraph, radio, telephone and computer all have the ability
to free individuals, as well as to assist their oppressors.7 However, unlike the
television, radio, and printing press, the Internet is both interactive and personalized
to allow users to share experiences online.8 Barry Wellman argues that social
networks are “profoundly transforming the nature of communities, sociality, and
interpersonal relations”.9 These networks enable the communication between
different cultures by sharing their values of communication despite and different
values they may have.”

Warrant: Social Media helps expand freedom

Melissa Spinner. “The Effects of Social Media on Democratization.” CUNY. 2012.

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1109&context=cc_
etds_theses

“Digital technologies have several features that assist and enhance the
democratization process. In recent years digital media has become inherent in many
western societies and a crucial form of communication. These communities offer users
empowerment and nourish the ideals of a citizen-based form of democracy. Their
speed combined with their low costs allows activists to organize around concrete
goals.14 These tech savvy activists generally think of themselves as belonging to a global

Champion Briefs 91
Pro Arguments June 2021

movement. Their local activities become directly linked via photographs, articles, and
sound clips to problems around the world. These mediums also allow for a constant
flow of information in societies where the media is generally censored to permit only
pro-government messages. They also give a voice to those that have been silenced.”

Analysis: This argument is strong because it shows the link between social media and the core
democratic value of free and open information. Show the judge that no matter what,
Americans get access to more information.

Champion Briefs 92
Pro Arguments June 2021

PRO: Social Media Helps Connect Activists

Argument: Social media is a platform where niche causes can find common support and spread
across the country

Warrant: Social media can support activism

“A Guide to Activism in the Digital Age” Maryville University. 2020

https://online.maryville.edu/blog/a-guide-to-social-media-activism/

“Technology is accelerating the rate at which ideas, relationships, and information are
shared. As such, social media is revolutionizing communication and access to
information on both a national and global scale. Mass distribution and the ability to
effortlessly share information has influenced many facets of modern life, changing the
way we think about, connect to, and engage with social justice and activism. People
have discovered new ways to communicate and collaborate through social media.
Features such as feeds, profiles, and groups on social platforms provide global access
to organizations that can promote and increase visibility by sharing and networking.
Modern communication students study these virtual platforms, and can even pursue
careers creating and distributing digital content. The power of social media can
amplify voices, instantaneously spread information, and increase collaboration across
diverse groups of people.”

Warrant: Social media helps raise money for causes

“A Guide to Activism in the Digital Age” Maryville University. 2020

https://online.maryville.edu/blog/a-guide-to-social-media-activism/

Champion Briefs 93
Pro Arguments June 2021

“The ALS Association ran an ice bucket challenge in 2014 raised awareness of the
disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) — as well
as $115 million in donations. The donation amount was transformative for the
association, allowing it to invest in research and assistive technologies, as well as to
increase access to healthcare and services for people with ALS. The ice bucket challenge
involved dumping a bucket of ice water either over one’s own head or somebody
else’s to promote awareness of, and encourage donations to, ALS research. The
challenge went viral on social media, in part due to its nomination system: Once a
person had completed the challenge, they would nominate other individuals to
complete it as well. If the nominee chose not to, or did not complete the challenge
within 24 hours, they were supposed to forfeit by way of a charitable financial
donation..”

Warrant: Social media has helped democracy advocates

“A Guide to Activism in the Digital Age” Maryville University. 2020

https://online.maryville.edu/blog/a-guide-to-social-media-activism/

“The early 2010s saw a series of protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions in Tunisia,
which spread quickly across North Africa and the Middle East. The revolutions
targeted oppressive regimes and low standards of living. The “Arab Spring” is noted for
the young protesters who took to the streets, utilizing social media during the uprisings
to organize, create awareness around the political issues, and document the experience
on the ground. The use of social media in political uprisings, documenting violence,
exercising freedom of speech, and creating space for civic engagement has reinforced
the importance and relevance of citizen journalists today. Studies on the Arab Spring
protests discuss the use of social media in these events and their effects on the
internal populations of the involved countries, as well as the global awareness that
citizen journalism created through the sharing of posts, photos, and videos. Facebook

Champion Briefs 94
Pro Arguments June 2021

pages and groups created spaces for gathering and community building, sharing
stories and information on the ground, and organization for protests in real time.”

Warrant: Social media debates helps activists around the world

Melissa Spinner. “The Effects of Social Media on Democratization.” CUNY. 2012.

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1109&context=cc_
etds_theses

““Twitter and Tear Gas” remains trenchant about how social media can and cannot
enact reform. But movements change, as does technology. Since Tufekci’s book was
published, social media has helped represent—and, in some cases, helped organize—
the Arab Spring 2.0, France’s “Yellow Vest” movement, Puerto Rico’s RickyLeaks, the
2019 Iranian protests, the Hong Kong protests, and what we might call the B.L.M.
uprising of 2020.”

Warrant: Activists continue to learn new tactics with social media

Melissa Spinner. “The Effects of Social Media on Democratization.” CUNY. 2012.

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1109&context=cc_
etds_theses

“The flurry of digital activism continues, there is no sense that this movement is unclear
about its aims—abolition—or that it might collapse under a tactical freeze. Instead, the
many protest guides, syllabi, Webinars, and the like have made clear both the objectives
of abolition and the digital savvy of abolitionists. It is a message so legible that even Fox
News grasped it with relative ease. Rachel Kuo, an organizer and scholar of digital
activism, told me that this clarity has been shaped partly by organizers who
increasingly rely on “a combination of digital platforms, whether that’s Google Drive,

Champion Briefs 95
Pro Arguments June 2021

Signal, Messenger, Slack, or other combinations of software, for collaboration,

information storage, resource access, and daily communications.”

Analysis: This argument demonstrates the power of social media to expand freedom. Use it two
ways – argue that activism is itself a democratic value and that it can help expand democracy

Champion Briefs 96
Pro Arguments June 2021

PRO: Social Media Helps Fundraising

Argument: Democracy relies on many interests groups being able to connect with sponsors in
order to raise funds. Social media enables this.

Warrant: Social media helps people find organizations that they trust

Tina Jepsen. “3 Ways Social Media Has Transformed Online Fundraising And How To
Adapt” CauseVox. 2020. https://www.causevox.com/blog/social-media-online-
fundraising/

“In the past, many nonprofits and charities built and nurtured relationships with donors
through mail, over the phone, or in-person. But as more and more people, businesses,
and nonprofits began creating social media accounts, the tide shifted. Today, anyone
interested can connect with your organization on social media. By following your
cause, they’re immediately given access to engaging posts, emotion-inducing videos
and images, and a “backstage” look at your organization’s work. For the first time,
donors don’t have to dig for information in a pamphlet or call to find out when the
next campaign is. They can simply head over to your page to view content and stay
connected. Therefore, it is important that you share quality, pertinent information
related to your cause on social media for your donors to see. For example, Children of
Vietnam provides their audience with news updates for their organization as seen in the
post below.”

Warrant: Social media increases the reach of organizations

Tina Jepsen. “3 Ways Social Media Has Transformed Online Fundraising And How To
Adapt” CauseVox. 2020. https://www.causevox.com/blog/social-media-online-
fundraising/

Champion Briefs 97
Pro Arguments June 2021

“Even though recent (and ongoing) algorithm changes from both Facebook and
Instagram have put businesses and nonprofits at somewhat of a disadvantage, that
still doesn’t mean that you run the risk of being hidden to your donors. The opposite is
true— you just have to work for it. To keep growing your exposure organically, and
thus, your donor audience, you must adjust your content and your online fundraising
donation requests. Use peer-to-peer fundraising, which encourages your online
audience to share the campaign with their networks Create and share donation requests
that people will want to share (include quality images, captivating videos, timely
statistics) Ask your donors to engage with your posts (“like”, Tweet, share, comment,
etc.) To maximize your reach even further, use the specific marketing features on each
platform to promote or boost your campaign such as Facebook or Pinterest ads.”

Warrant: Social media has increased refferals

Tina Jepsen. “3 Ways Social Media Has Transformed Online Fundraising And How To
Adapt” CauseVox. 2020. https://www.causevox.com/blog/social-media-online-
fundraising/

“Online fundraising with social media aids your organization in raising money and
awareness from organic, referral-based growth. These referrals, in particular, are a bit
easier to come by through social media. It’s quite easy for one of your supporters to
share the campaign online, possibly resulting in a chain reaction of new people
learning about your cause, donating, and then sharing the campaign with their own
networks. But in order for your campaign to be referred, it must be shared..”

Warrant: Many nonprofits use social media to boost engagement

Champion Briefs 98
Pro Arguments June 2021

“How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media To Increase Donations And Boost Visibility.”
FOrbes. 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2021/03/06/how-
nonprofits-can-use-social-media-to-increase-donations-and-boost-
visibility/?sh=722a99482bb7

“The World Wide Fund for Nature created a successful interactive content campaign
called Earth Hour. The annual Earth Hour campaign requests that people turn off their
lights for one hour and uses the #EarthHour hashtag (among others) to invigorate
followers. In 2020, 90 countries and territories took part in the event and it generated
over 4.7 billion global social media impressions.”

Warrant: Activists continue to learn new tactics with social media

“How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media To Increase Donations And Boost Visibility.”
FOrbes. 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2021/03/06/how-
nonprofits-can-use-social-media-to-increase-donations-and-boost-
visibility/?sh=722a99482bb7

“Amnesty International: Amnesty International uses Twitter to raise awareness of

ongoing campaigns and current social issues. Its Twitter profile has 4.2 million followers
and has posted nearly 33,000 tweets. Wings of Rescue: Pet rescue organization Wings
of Rescue transports at-risk shelter pets from disaster areas and overcrowded shelters
to shelters with empty kennel space. The organization has done a great job posting
videos on YouTube, images on Instagram, and posts on Facebook to bring in
donations.”

Analysis: This argument shows that social media is a crucial tool for the many nonprofits and
social interest groups which make up our democratic fabric. Tell the judge that civil society is
one of the most important elements of democracy.

Champion Briefs 99
Pro Arguments June 2021

PRO: Social Media Increases Information Available

Argument: Social media improves democracy by increasing the availability of information to

citizens

Warrant: Tons of information is available to people on social media

Farzana Parveen. “Role of Social Media on Information Accessibility” Association for

Information Systems. 2015. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/301365437.pdf

“Social media is the gathering place of a large pool of consumers. It is the repository of
consumer information and acts as a means of spreading information to build market
presence. Most literature states that organizational usage of social media enhances
customer relations, but social media also acts as a medium for information
acquisition. Not many previous studies have investigated the role of social media on
information accessibility. Therefore this study examined the impact of social media on
information accessibility. A total of 171 organization responded to the survey and the
result of the survey showed that social media usage has a positive impact on
information accessibility. Also it was found that factors such as interactivity, trust and
institutional pressure positively influence social media usage in organizations. This study
provided a clearer understanding on the real importance of social media and its benefits
towards information acquisition. The results would motivate and guide organizations
in the adoption of social media for information acquisition which is important for
understanding the customers, competitors and the industry and to develop strategies
for enhancing business performance.”

Warrant: Social media is how people consume information

Champion Briefs 100

Pro Arguments June 2021

Farzana Parveen. “Role of Social Media on Information Accessibility” Association for

Information Systems. 2015. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/301365437.pdf

“Social media covers a wide variety of web-based technologies that enable users to
contribute to, as well as consume information. These social media tools can be
established anywhere with an Internet connection, and it should be considered by
marketers, advertisers, and content creators as a basic part of their communications
because social media affects all aspects of the Internet and transforms the role of the
Internet in people’s lives (Akar & Topcu 2011; UnicersalMcCann 2008). Organizations
should consider using social media mainly because of the changing trends among
consumers. According to Mangold and Faulds (2009), marketing managers should
recognize the power and critical nature of the discussions that is being carried on by
consumers via social media. They illustrated the nature of the current trend as that the
Internet has become a mass media vehicle for consumer-sponsored communications.
It now represents the number one source of media for consumers at work and the
number two source of media at home (Rashtcy et al. 2007). As the trend is changing
more favorably towards social media among consumers, social media also provides
various advantages to organizations.”

Warrant: Social media has a net positive effect on information accessibility

Farzana Parveen. “Role of Social Media on Information Accessibility” Association for

Information Systems. 2015. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/301365437.pdf

“Findings of the study suggested that interactivity, trust and institutional pressures
are significantly related to social media usage. On the contrary, entrepreneurial
orientation and top management support were not significantly related to social media
usage. The results also showed that social media usage had a positive impact on
information accessibility. The results revealed that interactivity of social media is an

Champion Briefs 101

Pro Arguments June 2021

important factor that determined social media use in organizations (P<0.01). Interaction
between the public and the organizations can be improved tremendously by the
interactive nature of social media which influences the organizations to adopt social
media.”

Warrant: Americas use social media to get news

Elise Shearer. “More than eight-in-ten Americans get news from digital devices.” Pew
Research. 2021. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/01/12/more-
than-eight-in-ten-americans-get-news-from-digital-devices/

“When asked which of these platforms they prefer to get news on, roughly half (52%) of
Americans say they prefer a digital platform – whether it is a news website (26%),
search (12%), social media (11%) or podcasts (3%). About a third say they prefer
television (35%), and just 7% and 5% respectively say they prefer to get their news on
the radio or via print. Though digital devices are by far the most common way
Americans access their news, where they get that news on their devices is divided
among a number of different pathways. About two-thirds of U.S. adults say they get
news at least sometimes from news websites or apps (68%) or search engines, like
Google (65%). About half (53%) say they get news from social media, and a much
smaller portion say they get news at least sometimes from podcasts (22%)..”

Warrant: Young people get much of their news from social media

Elise Shearer. “More than eight-in-ten Americans get news from digital devices.” Pew
Research. 2021. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/01/12/more-
than-eight-in-ten-americans-get-news-from-digital-devices/

Champion Briefs 102

Pro Arguments June 2021

Within digital platforms for news, most age groups turn to news websites at higher rates
than other platforms, with one exception. Americans ages 18 to 29 stand out in that the
most common digital way they get news is social media, with 42% saying they get news
this way often versus 28% saying the same of either news websites or search engines.

Analysis: This argument is strong because it shows the link between social media and the core
democratic value of free and open information. Show the judge that no matter what,
Americans get access to more information.

PRO: Social media fights misinformation

Argument: Social media fights the spread of misinformation

Warrant: Foreign governments have launched new initiatives

“Government Responses to Disinformation on Social Media Platforms: Comparative

Summary” Library of Congress. 2016. https://www.loc.gov/law/help/social-
media-disinformation/compsum.php

“A similar interdepartmental task force against disinformation was established in

Denmark in 2018, whereby the Danish Security Intelligence Service and the Danish
Defense Intelligence Service de facto created a command center with the purpose of
countering disinformation from foreign sources. The initiatives provided that the
agencies should collaborate in ensuring the conduct of threat and vulnerability
assessments in relation to the election; focus on threats posed by potential foreign
influence; and offer all political parties eligible to be elected to Parliament counseling on
the risk of foreign influence in relation to the upcoming parliamentary elections,
including cyberattacks, and on the options for countering such influence and attacks..”

Warrant: Some laws require transparency

Champion Briefs 103

Pro Arguments June 2021

“Government Responses to Disinformation on Social Media Platforms: Comparative

Summary” Library of Congress. 2016. https://www.loc.gov/law/help/social-
media-disinformation/compsum.php

“As compared with the above sample of high-level media control, varied levels of
transparency requirements for online communications on social platforms were
identified in other surveyed countries. Such requirements are often limited to relevant
periods of electoral campaigns. A recent amendment to Argentinian law on financing
of political parties, for example, includes specific measures aimed at enhancing the
transparency and accountability of online political advertising, such as requiring those
ads to be paid by credit card with full disclosure of the purchaser’s identity and the
registration of political parties’ social media accounts. Additionally, at the time they
report their digital platform campaign expenses, political parties are required to submit
all audiovisual material pertaining to the political campaign that is available on the
internet, social media networks, messaging, and any other digital platform..”

Warrant: Many actions have already been taken

Andrew Morse. “Here's how social media companies are fighting election
misinformation” CNET. January 2019 https://www.cnet.com/news/heres-how-
social-media-companies-are-fighting-election-misinformation/

“Social networks came under fire after Russian trolls used them to sow discord among
Americans during the 2016 US presidential election. Now Facebook, Twitter and Google
say they're better prepared to tackle misinformation during this year's presidential
election. Facebook and Google, which owns the YouTube video-sharing service, have
created databases that allow anyone to check the source of a political ad, who

Champion Briefs 104

Pro Arguments June 2021

financed the message and how much was spent. Twitter banned political ads last year.
Facebook works with third-party fact-checkers, though it exempts posts by politicians
from this program. All of the social networks label problem posts, directing users to
online hubs that include election information from authoritative sources.."

Warrant: There are additional options which allow individuals to mitigate fake news

Andrew Morse. “Here's how social media companies are fighting election
misinformation” CNET. January 2019 https://www.cnet.com/news/heres-how-
social-media-companies-are-fighting-election-misinformation/

“Facebook let users turn off all political ads on both the social network's main site and
its Instagram photo-sharing service ahead of the election. Facebook and Instagram
launched an online hub for US users for information about voting, including
registration, mail-in voting and election-related deadlines. Facebook CEO Mark
Zuckerberg says the company helped an estimated 4.4 million Americans register to
vote. The social network stopped accepting new political or issue advertising during
the final week of the campaign and will expand policies addressing voter suppression.
Facebook will also temporarily halt all election and issue ads after Nov. 3 for an
indefinite period of time. "

Analysis: This response shows that there are actually many ways to mitigate disinformation.
Even if disinformation is out there, reasonable people have the means to mitigate it.

Champion Briefs 105

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social media inhibits free speech

Answer: Social media is an open forum where people of different ideas can come together and
conduct dialogue

Warrant: Social media allows people to have open discussions

Collette Snowden. “I’m right, you’re wrong, and here’s a link to prove it: how social
media shapes public debate” The Conversation. 2015.
https://theconversation.com/im-right-youre-wrong-and-heres-a-link-to-prove-it-
how-social-media-shapes-public-debate-65723

“Social media has revolutionized how we communicate. In this series, we look at how it
has changed the media, politics, health, education and the law. Once upon a time
different political perspective were provided to the public by media reporting, often
through their own painstaking research. If an issue gained attention, several
perspectives might compete to inform and shape public opinion. It often took decades
for issues to make the transition from the margin to the centre of politics. Now, within
minutes of any event, announcement or media appearance, we are able to get those
perspectives thousands of times instantly via social media. There are constant
reactions and debates, often repeating the same arguments and information.”

Warrant: Social media amplified marginalized voices

Collette Snowden. “I’m right, you’re wrong, and here’s a link to prove it: how social
media shapes public debate” The Conversation. 2015.
https://theconversation.com/im-right-youre-wrong-and-heres-a-link-to-prove-it-
how-social-media-shapes-public-debate-65723

Champion Briefs 107

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

“The level of hostility encountered in many debates is a powerful deterrent for many.
Nonsense and profundity, truth and fabrication, have equal rights on social media. It can
be a frustrating and bewildering place, and a great waster of time. Nonetheless, with
the dedication and commitment of a few passionate supporters, small and more
marginalised groups are able to create a public presence that previously would have
required years to establish through community meetings, lecture tours, fundraising
events and lobbying.
A group like the Free West Papua movement, established in 1965 but outlawed by the
Indonesian government, has successfully used social media to generate global
support. Other cause-related issues – such as animal-rights activism – that were
previously confined to the margins of public attention have benefited from the greater
reach social media allows.”

Warrant: Social media has become a powerful force in policy debate

Collette Snowden. “I’m right, you’re wrong, and here’s a link to prove it: how social
media shapes public debate” The Conversation. 2015.
https://theconversation.com/im-right-youre-wrong-and-heres-a-link-to-prove-it-
how-social-media-shapes-public-debate-65723

“Communications technology has also enabled social media to amplify many debates
about long-standing issues, such as domestic violence, by allowing people to share
their stories and engage in debates. These in turn can place pressure on politicians to
act and contribute to critical offline discussions. Just how powerful is it? The influence
of social media on politics and public perception is indisputable, but the extent of that
influence is yet to be determined. While social media was initially dismissed by some
politicians as trivial, few make that argument now. Social media analytics are scrutinised
with the same intensity as polls, and politicians and political parties follow social media
exchanges closely..”

Champion Briefs 108

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

Warrant: Social media debates allow for political change

Melissa Spinner. “The Effects of Social Media on Democratization.” CUNY. 2012.

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1109&context=cc_
etds_theses

“The Internet is not the first technology associated with freedom. Previous inventions
such as the printing press, telegraph, radio, telephone and computer all have the ability
to free individuals, as well as to assist their oppressors.7 However, unlike the
television, radio, and printing press, the Internet is both interactive and personalized
to allow users to share experiences online.8 Barry Wellman argues that social
networks are “profoundly transforming the nature of communities, sociality, and
interpersonal relations”.9 These networks enable the communication between
different cultures by sharing their values of communication despite and different
values they may have.”

Warrant: Social Media helps expand freedom

Melissa Spinner. “The Effects of Social Media on Democratization.” CUNY. 2012.

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1109&context=cc_
etds_theses

“Digital technologies have several features that assist and enhance the
democratization process. In recent years digital media has become inherent in many
western societies and a crucial form of communication. These communities offer users
empowerment and nourish the ideals of a citizen-based form of democracy. Their
speed combined with their low costs allows activists to organize around concrete
goals.14 These tech savvy activists generally think of themselves as belonging to a global

Champion Briefs 109

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

movement. Their local activities become directly linked via photographs, articles, and
sound clips to problems around the world. These mediums also allow for a constant
flow of information in societies where the media is generally censored to permit only
pro-government messages. They also give a voice to those that have been silenced.”

Analysis: This argument is strong because it shows the link between social media and the core
democratic value of free and open information. Show the judge that no matter what,
Americans get access to more information.

Champion Briefs 110

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social Media increases violence

Answer: Social media makes it easier for people to protest on the platform and also organize protests in
person as well.

Warrant: Social media has recently increased activism

Rosenblatt, Kalhan. “How 2020 Became the Summer of Activism Both Online and Offline.” NBC
News, 26 Sept. 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/summer-digital-
protest-how-2020-became-summer-activism-both-online-n1241001.

The summer was marked by a surging movement of activism calling for social change but with
the coronavirus pandemic affecting how people interact with one another, many of these calls
to action took place online. Social movements fueled by social media are not new, according
to Alyssa Bowen, a doctoral candidate in history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, with an expertise as a historian of global contemporary social movements. She pointed to
the Arab Spring and the Occupy Wall Street movements, both of which occurred in the early
2010s, as predecessors of 2020s progression into digital activism. And with the pandemic
forcing people into their homes, oftentimes they could watch a protest against the president
or a protest for Black Lives Matter unfold in real time. “You’re seeing people staying at home
without a ton to do except watch Netflix and go on Twitter, and I think people took great notice
of what's going on even more than usual, because they had real-time access to what was going
on at the protests,” Bowen said.

Warrant: Social media provides a platform for galvanizing protestors

Herrera, Sarah E. Needleman and Sebastian. “Social Media Becomes Battleground Over Days of
Street Protests.” Wall Street Journal, 2 June 2020. www.wsj.com,
https://www.wsj.com/articles/social-media-becomes-battleground-over-days-of-street-
protests-11591018647.

Champion Briefs 111

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021
Social media has become a central battleground for the protests across the U.S., with tech
platforms amplifying tensions while also providing a real-time chronicle of the riots and police
responses that might not have otherwise gained widespread attention. A lone video of the
violent arrest that led to the death of George Floyd posted last Monday on Facebook by a
bystander, Darnella Frazier, has been shared by 52,000 people there and found its way to
Twitter , Instagram and other social platforms, widening awareness of the episode. Since then,
those outlets have been a tool to spread dissent and anger by those upset at Mr. Floyd’s death
and those disturbed by the sometimes violent actions of both protesters and police in cities
across the country. Social media played a critical role in galvanizing the protesters through the
quickly shared video around Mr. Floyd’s arrest, said Alex Stamos, director of Stanford
University’s Internet Observatory. “It nationalizes local issues like this,” he said, adding that
“maybe 20 years ago this might have only been covered at the local press.”

Warrant: Social media is used to engage in protests directly on the platform

McKeon, Robin Tamarelli, and Drew H. Gitomer. “Social Media, Political Mobilization, and High-
Stakes Testing.” Frontiers in Education, vol. 4, Frontiers, 2019. Frontiers,
doi:10.3389/feduc.2019.00055.

Social media posts in a Facebook group organized around the issue of refusing high-stakes
testing in New Jersey were analyzed to understand how individuals and organizations use
social media to engage in political protest against educational policies. Facebook posts were
categorized by their theme (reasons for opposing high-stakes testing), whether they discussed
political protest tactics (both traditional and virtual), and whether they contained web links to
other social media sites. Interviews with Test Refusal Movement participants were conducted
to supplement the Facebook analysis by providing a more nuanced understanding of how
movement participants navigate online affinity spaces and how new forms of protest have
transformed but not replaced traditional political protest against policies.

Impact: Protests impact every facet of American democracy

Champion Briefs 112

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021
Gillion, Daniel. Why Protests Matter in American Democracy. 2 June 2020,
https://press.princeton.edu/ideas/why-protests-matter-in-american-democracy.

As protests continue nationwide in honor of George Floyd and to express outrage with systemic
racism, it remains to be seen how the current civil unrest will shape democracy long term, and
impact voting in the fall. The “silent majority”—a phrase coined by Richard Nixon in 1969 in
response to Vietnam War protests and later used by Donald Trump as a campaign slogan—
refers to the supposed wedge that exists between protestors in the street and the voters at
home. The Loud Minority by Daniel Q. Gillion upends this view by demonstrating that voters
are in fact directly informed and influenced by protest activism. Consequently, as protests
grow in America, every facet of the electoral process is touched by this loud minority,
benefiting the political party perceived to be the most supportive of the protestors’
messaging. Read a free sample of Gillion’s important book here.

Analysis: This is a good argument because protests can change policy significantly as well as get
people out to vote. This is important because it links into almost any framework that the con
could provide. If the con tries to focus on policy, protests improve that. If the con tries to focus
on democratic participation, protests can improve that too

Champion Briefs 113

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social Media contributes to an increase in the mental health

crisis

Answer: Social media has spaces for people to discuss mental illness and feel comfortable.

Warrant: Social media allows people to have open discussions

Collette Snowden. “I’m right, you’re wrong, and here’s a link to prove it: how social
media shapes public debate” The Conversation. 2015.
https://theconversation.com/im-right-youre-wrong-and-heres-a-link-to-prove-it-
how-social-media-shapes-public-debate-65723

“Social media has revolutionized how we communicate. In this series, we look at how it
has changed the media, politics, health, education and the law. Once upon a time
different political perspective were provided to the public by media reporting, often
through their own painstaking research. If an issue gained attention, several
perspectives might compete to inform and shape public opinion. It often took decades
for issues to make the transition from the margin to the centre of politics. Now, within
minutes of any event, announcement or media appearance, we are able to get those
perspectives thousands of times instantly via social media. There are constant
reactions and debates, often repeating the same arguments and information.”

Warrant: Social media amplified marginalized voices

Collette Snowden. “I’m right, you’re wrong, and here’s a link to prove it: how social
media shapes public debate” The Conversation. 2015.
https://theconversation.com/im-right-youre-wrong-and-heres-a-link-to-prove-it-
how-social-media-shapes-public-debate-65723

Champion Briefs 114

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

“The level of hostility encountered in many debates is a powerful deterrent for many.
Nonsense and profundity, truth and fabrication, have equal rights on social media. It can
be a frustrating and bewildering place, and a great waster of time. Nonetheless, with
the dedication and commitment of a few passionate supporters, small and more
marginalised groups are able to create a public presence that previously would have
required years to establish through community meetings, lecture tours, fundraising
events and lobbying.
A group like the Free West Papua movement, established in 1965 but outlawed by the
Indonesian government, has successfully used social media to generate global
support. Other cause-related issues – such as animal-rights activism – that were
previously confined to the margins of public attention have benefited from the greater
reach social media allows.”

Warrant: Social media has become a powerful force in policy debate

Collette Snowden. “I’m right, you’re wrong, and here’s a link to prove it: how social
media shapes public debate” The Conversation. 2015.
https://theconversation.com/im-right-youre-wrong-and-heres-a-link-to-prove-it-
how-social-media-shapes-public-debate-65723

“Communications technology has also enabled social media to amplify many debates
about long-standing issues, such as domestic violence, by allowing people to share
their stories and engage in debates. These in turn can place pressure on politicians to
act and contribute to critical offline discussions. Just how powerful is it? The influence
of social media on politics and public perception is indisputable, but the extent of that
influence is yet to be determined. While social media was initially dismissed by some
politicians as trivial, few make that argument now. Social media analytics are scrutinised
with the same intensity as polls, and politicians and political parties follow social media
exchanges closely..”

Champion Briefs 115

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

Warrant: Social media debates allow for political change

Melissa Spinner. “The Effects of Social Media on Democratization.” CUNY. 2012.

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1109&context=cc_
etds_theses

“The Internet is not the first technology associated with freedom. Previous inventions
such as the printing press, telegraph, radio, telephone and computer all have the ability
to free individuals, as well as to assist their oppressors.7 However, unlike the
television, radio, and printing press, the Internet is both interactive and personalized
to allow users to share experiences online.8 Barry Wellman argues that social
networks are “profoundly transforming the nature of communities, sociality, and
interpersonal relations”.9 These networks enable the communication between
different cultures by sharing their values of communication despite and different
values they may have.”

Warrant: Social Media helps expand freedom

Melissa Spinner. “The Effects of Social Media on Democratization.” CUNY. 2012.

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1109&context=cc_
etds_theses

“Digital technologies have several features that assist and enhance the
democratization process. In recent years digital media has become inherent in many
western societies and a crucial form of communication. These communities offer users
empowerment and nourish the ideals of a citizen-based form of democracy. Their
speed combined with their low costs allows activists to organize around concrete
goals.14 These tech savvy activists generally think of themselves as belonging to a global

Champion Briefs 116

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

movement. Their local activities become directly linked via photographs, articles, and
sound clips to problems around the world. These mediums also allow for a constant
flow of information in societies where the media is generally censored to permit only
pro-government messages. They also give a voice to those that have been silenced.”

Analysis: This argument is strong because it shows the link between social media and the core
democratic value of free and open information. Show the judge that no matter what,
Americans get access to more information.

Champion Briefs 117

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social media increases oppression

Answer: Social media makes it easier for people to protest on the platform and also organize protests in
person as well.

Warrant: Social media has recently increased activism

Rosenblatt, Kalhan. “How 2020 Became the Summer of Activism Both Online and Offline.” NBC
News, 26 Sept. 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/summer-digital-
protest-how-2020-became-summer-activism-both-online-n1241001.

The summer was marked by a surging movement of activism calling for social change but with
the coronavirus pandemic affecting how people interact with one another, many of these calls
to action took place online. Social movements fueled by social media are not new, according
to Alyssa Bowen, a doctoral candidate in history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, with an expertise as a historian of global contemporary social movements. She pointed to
the Arab Spring and the Occupy Wall Street movements, both of which occurred in the early
2010s, as predecessors of 2020s progression into digital activism. And with the pandemic
forcing people into their homes, oftentimes they could watch a protest against the president
or a protest for Black Lives Matter unfold in real time. “You’re seeing people staying at home
without a ton to do except watch Netflix and go on Twitter, and I think people took great notice
of what's going on even more than usual, because they had real-time access to what was going
on at the protests,” Bowen said.

Warrant: Social media provides a platform for galvanizing protestors

Herrera, Sarah E. Needleman and Sebastian. “Social Media Becomes Battleground Over Days of
Street Protests.” Wall Street Journal, 2 June 2020. www.wsj.com,
https://www.wsj.com/articles/social-media-becomes-battleground-over-days-of-street-
protests-11591018647.

Champion Briefs 118

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021
Social media has become a central battleground for the protests across the U.S., with tech
platforms amplifying tensions while also providing a real-time chronicle of the riots and police
responses that might not have otherwise gained widespread attention. A lone video of the
violent arrest that led to the death of George Floyd posted last Monday on Facebook by a
bystander, Darnella Frazier, has been shared by 52,000 people there and found its way to
Twitter , Instagram and other social platforms, widening awareness of the episode. Since then,
those outlets have been a tool to spread dissent and anger by those upset at Mr. Floyd’s death
and those disturbed by the sometimes violent actions of both protesters and police in cities
across the country. Social media played a critical role in galvanizing the protesters through the
quickly shared video around Mr. Floyd’s arrest, said Alex Stamos, director of Stanford
University’s Internet Observatory. “It nationalizes local issues like this,” he said, adding that
“maybe 20 years ago this might have only been covered at the local press.”

Warrant: Social media is used to engage in protests directly on the platform

McKeon, Robin Tamarelli, and Drew H. Gitomer. “Social Media, Political Mobilization, and High-
Stakes Testing.” Frontiers in Education, vol. 4, Frontiers, 2019. Frontiers,
doi:10.3389/feduc.2019.00055.

Social media posts in a Facebook group organized around the issue of refusing high-stakes
testing in New Jersey were analyzed to understand how individuals and organizations use
social media to engage in political protest against educational policies. Facebook posts were
categorized by their theme (reasons for opposing high-stakes testing), whether they discussed
political protest tactics (both traditional and virtual), and whether they contained web links to
other social media sites. Interviews with Test Refusal Movement participants were conducted
to supplement the Facebook analysis by providing a more nuanced understanding of how
movement participants navigate online affinity spaces and how new forms of protest have
transformed but not replaced traditional political protest against policies.

Impact: Protests impact every facet of American democracy

Champion Briefs 119

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021
Gillion, Daniel. Why Protests Matter in American Democracy. 2 June 2020,
https://press.princeton.edu/ideas/why-protests-matter-in-american-democracy.

As protests continue nationwide in honor of George Floyd and to express outrage with systemic
racism, it remains to be seen how the current civil unrest will shape democracy long term, and
impact voting in the fall. The “silent majority”—a phrase coined by Richard Nixon in 1969 in
response to Vietnam War protests and later used by Donald Trump as a campaign slogan—
refers to the supposed wedge that exists between protestors in the street and the voters at
home. The Loud Minority by Daniel Q. Gillion upends this view by demonstrating that voters
are in fact directly informed and influenced by protest activism. Consequently, as protests
grow in America, every facet of the electoral process is touched by this loud minority,
benefiting the political party perceived to be the most supportive of the protestors’
messaging. Read a free sample of Gillion’s important book here.

Analysis: Facilitating protest and dissent makes it harder for the government to act in an
oppressive manner, which is why we saw uprisings like the Arab Spring.

Champion Briefs 120

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social media undermines justice

Argument: Social media allows people to get more access to political opinions and information, which
counteracts injustice.

Warrant: Social media promotes voter turnout among young people

Kurkjian, Noah. Youth Voting Population Mobilized by Social Media. 27 Oct. 2020,
https://fsutorch.com/2020/10/27/youth-voting-population-mobilized-by-social-media/.

The 2020 general election is expected to have the largest youth voter turnout in decades.
Some are crediting this influx in participation to social media and its massive influence. With
both candidates having a large social media presence, Joseph Biden has a combined 20 million
followers and incumbent Donald Trump boasts a massive 140 million combined followers, they
both have significant reach. But followers aren’t the only thing that matters. How the
candidates use their platform matters just as much, and a lot of young voters find some of
their behavior off-putting. “They are using twitter for their little wars, and it honestly looks
immature for 70-something year old’s,” nuclear medical technology sophomore Brynn
Krzyminski said. “They should be using their large platforms to inform instead of to cut down.”

Warrant: Social media allowed people to watch each other vote during the pandemic

Procaccia, Ariel. “Opinion | Social Media May Have Contributed to Record Voter Turnout in the
2020 Election.” Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2020. www.washingtonpost.com,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/11/27/social-media-probably-
contributed-record-voter-turnout-2020-election/.

But how can such a hypothesis be tested? Funk points out that social pressure is known to be
strongest in small communities, where people are more likely to gossip about their neighbors’
virtues and vices. If the desire to be seen voting did significantly contribute to turnout, we would
expect the introduction of mail-in voting to have a less positive impact on turnout the smaller

Champion Briefs 121

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021
the community is. Funk finds that this is indeed the case by analyzing several decades’ worth of
federal elections in Switzerland, where different cantons (the Swiss equivalent of states)
introduced mail-in voting at different times. In fact, while overall turnout slightly increased with
mail-in voting, in certain small communities the option to vote by mail decreased turnout.
Nowadays the online world is home to millions of small communities; Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter and other platforms have become social pressure-cookers. Especially in this pandemic-
burdened time of homemade bread, homemade haircuts and homemade ballots (of the
legitimate variety), social media gave America a socially distanced opportunity to make voting
observable again. And voters could influence their friends to vote too, while they were at it. In
2020, a time-honored system of democracy may have thrived, against all odds, thanks in part
to social media. It would be just another irony in a year that has had more than its fair share.

Warrant: Efforts to spread the word about voting on social media have increased turnout

Bond, Robert M., et al. “A 61-Million-Person Experiment in Social Influence and Political
Mobilization.” Nature, vol. 489, no. 7415, Sept. 2012. PubMed Central,
doi:10.1038/nature11421. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11421

To put these results in context, it is important to note that turnout has been steadily increasing
in recent US midterm elections, from 36.3% of the voting age population in 2002 to 37.2% in
2006, and to 37.8% in 2010. Our results suggest that the Facebook social message increased
turnout directly by about 60,000 voters and indirectly through social contagion by another
280,000 voters, for a total of 340,000 additional votes. That represents about 0.14% of the
voting age population of about 236 million in 2010. However, this estimate does not include
the effect of the treatment on Facebook users who were registered to vote but who we could
not match because of nicknames, typographical errors, and so on. It would be complex to
estimate the number of users on Facebook who are in the voter record but unmatchable, and it
is not clear whether treatment effects would be of the same magnitude for these individuals, so
we restrict our estimate to the matched group that we were able to sample and observe. This
means it is possible that more of the 0.60% growth in turnout between 2006 and 2010 might
have been caused by a single message on Facebook.

Champion Briefs 122

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021
Impact: Higher voter turnout leads to more pro-poor policies

McElwee, Sean. “Why Increasing Voter Turnout Affects Policy.” The Atlantic, 15 Sept. 2015,
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/why-non-voters-
matter/405250/.

One researcher, for example, found that higher turnout among the wealthy changes the
legislative agenda: Policymakers spend less time on bills relating to housing, welfare and
healthcare. They’re also likely to pass anti-predatory lending statutes, expand children’s health
insurance, or increase the minimum wage. Conversely, another study finds that higher turnout
among the poor leads to higher spending on welfare programs. Counties with higher turnout
receive more funding from the federal government, while districts with lower turnout have
less influence on the policy positions taken by their representatives.

Analysis: Without the influence of social media, the public would be less engaged, and
injustices that have been shared on social media would have never been brought to light.

Champion Briefs 123

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social Media Reduces Constructive Dialogue

Answer: Social media fosters dialogue

Warrant: Social media provides new methods of connection

Makana Shultz “Why is social media a beneficial relationship building tool?.” Michigan
State University. 2014.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/why_is_social_media_a_beneficial_relationshi
p_building_tool

“How can social networks help with the process of building healthy working
relationships? Social networks present great opportunities for professionals to publicly
recognize successes of parties in the relationship. This increases that party's sense of
belonging, self-worth and security, in turn, makes them more comfortable and more
likely to invest in your relationship. Another key opportunity provided by social
networking is authenticity. Others can utilize your social media pages to determine
more information about you as an individual. This helps to reassure others the story
you are telling about yourself is genuine, and as a result, the connections you make are
as meaningful as face-to-face relationships.”

Warrant: Social media allows people to build a large host of connections

Makana Shultz “Why is social media a beneficial relationship building tool?.” Michigan
State University. 2014.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/why_is_social_media_a_beneficial_relationshi
p_building_tool

Champion Briefs 124

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

“A great thing about social media is that it allows you access to both your strong and
weak connections. Increasing the spectrum of possible connections can help
individuals and organizations identify specific parties with shared interests or goals,
experience solving similar challenges, or even developed tools or methods for
completing a mutual task. Consider all the connections you have online through social
networks and then think about the connections of your connections: the possibilities for
collaboration are endless!"

Answer: Social media can be a force for activist dialogue

Warrant: Social media dialogue brought about the Arab spring

“A Guide to Activism in the Digital Age” Maryville University. 2014.

https://online.maryville.edu/blog/a-guide-to-social-media-activism/

“Studies on the Arab Spring protests discuss the use of social media in these events
and their effects on the internal populations of the involved countries, as well as the
global awareness that citizen journalism created through the sharing of posts, photos,
and videos. Facebook pages and groups created spaces for gathering and community
building, sharing stories and information on the ground, and organization for protests in
real time. Studies found that though social media helped spark many of the protests
through online mobilization, its greatest impact was “acting more as a megaphone than
a rallying cry.” The dissemination of information by sharing local self-generated news
translating into mass and international media brought the issues and events into the
global discussion. This resulted in international pressure against the violent reactions
of autocratic regimes to protesters..””

Warrant: Social media allows activists to share lived experiences

Champion Briefs 125

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

“A Guide to Activism in the Digital Age” Maryville University. 2014.

https://online.maryville.edu/blog/a-guide-to-social-media-activism/

“Many social justice causes work to build equity for minorities and underrepresented
individuals and groups within society. The stories and struggles of minorities often
aren’t well known or publicized, but social media can provide a platform to amplify
and share them with potentially millions of people across the globe. This exposure
helps share lived experiences about racial violence, sexual harassment, and other forms
of oppression directly from the underrepresented..”

Analysis: Make the case that in terms of quantitative interactions, social media actually helps
people build new connections and friendships.

Champion Briefs 126

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social Media Allows for Surveillance

Answer: People can minimize surveillance

Warrant: Social media has privacy settings

John Gray. “Implementing Privacy on Social Media” Forbes. 2016.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joegray/2019/10/01/implementing-privacy-on-
social-media/?sh=5da3fde3bd56

“While the most prudent advice is to avoid posting anything altogether, that is not
entirely practical. It is very impractical if you have children and your parents or other
close loved ones live far away. Nevertheless, consider implementing access controls.
While access controls sound like a significant scary process, it is not. Access controls in
this context are merely minimizing who can see what you post. Twitter and Instagram,
for example, are inherently public unless you alter your profile settings. For Facebook,
you can post publicly, friends of friends, friends, groups, custom or only me. If you
want to share data, I recommend setting up relevant groups. Create a group for trusted
friends and family. If you are a veteran or alumni of an organization, create a group for
your connections from that establishment. In doing so, you can make sure they only
see what you want them to see, thus improving your privacy and the quality of their
timeline.”

Warrant: People need to bare individual responsibility

John Gray. “Implementing Privacy on Social Media” Forbes. 2016.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joegray/2019/10/01/implementing-privacy-on-
social-media/?sh=5da3fde3bd56

Champion Briefs 127

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

“Starting with Own IT, we must understand our digital profile. Our digital profile is a
complex and multi-faceted thing to analyze. We have the technologies we use for
work, but we also have the technologies that we use at home and then the overlap of
the two. Thirty years ago, we didn't walk around with a fully functional computer in
our pocket. We weren't connected 24/7. We didn't feel the need to convey our every
move and meal with our friends all the time. Sure, people may have talked about these
things, but typically in person or on the phone. In those days, you had to pay to call
someone outside your general geographic area, so calls were either brief or expensive.
Given the nature of our society now, we need to look at what we tell people, friendly
and hostile, about ourselves. This connected nature can occasionally be beneficial, but
in large, it is neutral to harmful. As I have discussed in previous articles, posting about
your vacation, or going live at your vacation resort is not a good practice..”

De-link: The US is about to pass privacy legislation

Warrant: 2021 is the perfect time for privacy laws

Jennifer Bryant. “2021 ‘best chance’ for US privacy legislation” IAPP. January 2019
https://iapp.org/news/a/2021-best-chance-for-federal-privacy-legislation/

“Future of Privacy Forum Senior Fellow Peter Swire, CIPP/US, has been working in
privacy’s legislative landscape since the late 1990s, when he served as chief counselor
for privacy under President Bill Clinton. Today, he believes the U.S. is on the cusp of
passing comprehensive federal privacy legislation. “This new Congress has the best
chance for comprehensive federal legislation that I’ve ever seen,” he said. Swire and
other members of the Future of Privacy Forum recently presented a look toward 2021,
sharing their expectations on what the Biden administration, Federal Trade Commission
and states will accomplish on privacy in the coming year."

Champion Briefs 128

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

Warrant: A privacy law would be bipartisan

Jennifer Bryant. “2021 ‘best chance’ for US privacy legislation” IAPP. January 2019
https://iapp.org/news/a/2021-best-chance-for-federal-privacy-legislation/

“Former Vice President Joe Biden’s election as president and Democratic control of
the House suggests there is potential to see legislation similar to packages considered
over the past year, particularly as the political parties narrowed in their differences on
those proposals, Swire said. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.,
each proposed legislation — the American Framework to Ensure Data Access,
Transparency, and Accountability Act and the Consumer Online Privacy Rights Act,
respectively. “Something like last year’s bills might have a chance because Republicans
and Democrats have come to agreement on so many of the provisions,” he said. “If
Congress wants to do something in the next two years, they can do it here on privacy.
This is a rare bipartisan opportunity and so we could really see comprehensive privacy
legislation pass in the new Congress.”

Analysis: This response delinks the argument by showing the judge that simple legislative
changes can and will solve the problem without broader intervention against social media
companies.

Champion Briefs 129

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social Media Boosts Fake News

Answer: The government has responded to disinformation

Warrant: Foreign governments have launched new initiatives

“Government Responses to Disinformation on Social Media Platforms: Comparative

Summary” Library of Congress. 2016. https://www.loc.gov/law/help/social-
media-disinformation/compsum.php

“A similar interdepartmental task force against disinformation was established in

Denmark in 2018, whereby the Danish Security Intelligence Service and the Danish
Defense Intelligence Service de facto created a command center with the purpose of
countering disinformation from foreign sources. The initiatives provided that the
agencies should collaborate in ensuring the conduct of threat and vulnerability
assessments in relation to the election; focus on threats posed by potential foreign
influence; and offer all political parties eligible to be elected to Parliament counseling on
the risk of foreign influence in relation to the upcoming parliamentary elections,
including cyberattacks, and on the options for countering such influence and attacks..”

Warrant: Some laws require transparency

“Government Responses to Disinformation on Social Media Platforms: Comparative

Summary” Library of Congress. 2016. https://www.loc.gov/law/help/social-
media-disinformation/compsum.php

“As compared with the above sample of high-level media control, varied levels of
transparency requirements for online communications on social platforms were
identified in other surveyed countries. Such requirements are often limited to relevant

Champion Briefs 130

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

periods of electoral campaigns. A recent amendment to Argentinian law on financing

of political parties, for example, includes specific measures aimed at enhancing the
transparency and accountability of online political advertising, such as requiring those
ads to be paid by credit card with full disclosure of the purchaser’s identity and the
registration of political parties’ social media accounts. Additionally, at the time they
report their digital platform campaign expenses, political parties are required to submit
all audiovisual material pertaining to the political campaign that is available on the
internet, social media networks, messaging, and any other digital platform..”

De-link: Social media companies are fighting misinformation

Warrant: Many actions have already been taken

Andrew Morse. “Here's how social media companies are fighting election
misinformation” CNET. January 2019 https://www.cnet.com/news/heres-how-
social-media-companies-are-fighting-election-misinformation/

“Social networks came under fire after Russian trolls used them to sow discord among
Americans during the 2016 US presidential election. Now Facebook, Twitter and Google
say they're better prepared to tackle misinformation during this year's presidential
election. Facebook and Google, which owns the YouTube video-sharing service, have
created databases that allow anyone to check the source of a political ad, who
financed the message and how much was spent. Twitter banned political ads last year.
Facebook works with third-party fact-checkers, though it exempts posts by politicians
from this program. All of the social networks label problem posts, directing users to
online hubs that include election information from authoritative sources.."

Warrant: There are additional options which allow individuals to mitigate fake news

Champion Briefs 131

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

Andrew Morse. “Here's how social media companies are fighting election
misinformation” CNET. January 2019 https://www.cnet.com/news/heres-how-
social-media-companies-are-fighting-election-misinformation/

“Facebook let users turn off all political ads on both the social network's main site and
its Instagram photo-sharing service ahead of the election. Facebook and Instagram
launched an online hub for US users for information about voting, including
registration, mail-in voting and election-related deadlines. Facebook CEO Mark
Zuckerberg says the company helped an estimated 4.4 million Americans register to
vote. The social network stopped accepting new political or issue advertising during
the final week of the campaign and will expand policies addressing voter suppression.
Facebook will also temporarily halt all election and issue ads after Nov. 3 for an
indefinite period of time. "

Analysis: This response shows that there are actually many ways to mitigate disinformation.
Even if disinformation is out there, reasonable people have the means to mitigate it.

Champion Briefs 132

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social Media Creates Echo Chambers

Answer: Social media is good for dialogue

Warrant: Social media boosts civil society

Melissa Spinnger “The Effects of Social Media on Democratization” City University of

New York 2012.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1109&context=cc_
etds_theses

“Digital technologies and applications are changing the way individuals, governments,
and non-governmental organizations are interacting today. They have given more
people and groups access to information and the tools needed to increase productivity
and communication than in the past. As a result of these new digital technologies, the
number of people contributing to their civil society has radically increased.”

Warrant: Social media contributes importantly to democratization

Melissa Spinnger “The Effects of Social Media on Democratization” City University of

New York 2012.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1109&context=cc_
etds_theses

“Digital technologies have several features that assist and enhance the democratization
process. In recent years digital media has become inherent in many western societies
and a crucial form of communication. These communities offer users empowerment
and nourish the ideals of a citizen-based form of democracy. Their speed combined
with their low costs allows activists to organize around concrete goals.14 These tech

Champion Briefs 133

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

savvy activists generally think of themselves as belonging to a global movement. Their

local activities become directly linked via photographs, articles, and sound clips to
problems around the world.”

De-link: Social media does not create echo chambers

Warrant: People see media from diverse sources

Amol Rajan. “Do digital echo chambers exist?” BBC. January 2019
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-47447633

“"Social networks and search engines are associated with an increase in the mean
ideological distance between individuals", the authors write. "However, somewhat
counter-intuitively, these same channels also are associated with an increase in an
individual's exposure to material from his or her less preferred side of the political
spectrum". They go on: "The vast majority of online news consumption is accounted for
by individuals simply visiting the home pages of their favourite, typically mainstream,
news outlets, tempering the consequences - both positive and negative - of recent
technological changes."

Warrant: The internet exposes people to many different viewpoints

Amol Rajan. “Do digital echo chambers exist?” BBC. January 2019
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-47447633

“Dr Blank gave me a nuanced account of our digital behaviour. He told me, "one of the
characteristics of the internet is that it has created a very large, complex media
environment that includes not just social media but also print media, television, radio,
and online media of various types, including online copies of print media - as well as

Champion Briefs 134

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

specialised online media. "And if you look at that entire multi-media environment
what you find is people are not in echo chambers, that people are not locked into
groups of like-minded people all thinking the same thing and all talking the same
way.""

Analysis: This response dispels the myth that Americans merely stick to their own ideological
corners of the web. To whatever extent polarization exists it is not because of echo chambers

Champion Briefs 135

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social Media increases aggression and violence in youth

Answer: Social media allows young people to participate in politics more easily, which increases their
democratic participation.

Warrant: Young people are very likely to use social media for political participation

Kahne, Joseph. “Social Media Power Youth Political Participation.” Mills College, 26 June 2012,
https://phys.org/news/2012-06-social-media-power-youth-political.html.

The national survey questioned 3,000 young people, ages 15-25 on how they use the Internet,
social media and engage in politics. Unlike any prior study on the topic, the YPP survey included
large numbers of black, Latino, and Asian American respondents, allowing for unique statistical
comparisons across race. The data present one of the most complete pictures to date of how
young people are using new media in new ways to engage politically, providing relevant insights
on both the long-term political picture in America and the upcoming 2012 election. The study
report, Participatory Politics: New Media and Youth Political Action shows that contrary to the
traditional notion of a technological digital divide, substantial numbers of young people across
racial and ethic groups are engaging in "participatory politics" — acts such as starting a
political group online, circulating a blog about a political issue, or forwarding political videos
to friends. Like traditional political acts, these acts address issues of public concern. The
difference is that participatory acts are interactive, peer-based, and do not defer to elites or
formal institutions. They are also tied to digital or new media platforms that facilitate and
amplify young people's actions.

Warrant: Social media can provide opportunities for political participation

Ahmad, Taufiq, et al. “The Use of Social Media on Political Participation Among University
Students: An Analysis of Survey Results From Rural Pakistan.” SAGE Open, vol. 9, no. 3,
SAGE Publications, July 2019, p. 2158244019864484. SAGE Journals,

Champion Briefs 136

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021
doi:10.1177/2158244019864484.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244019864484

Over the last decade, extensive literature has been published regarding social media effects
on real-life political participation. Many argue that social media stimulates online and offline
political participation. This study investigates how online political activities impact political
efficacy and real-life political participation among university students in rural Pakistan. In
addition, this study also sheds light on the relationship between political activities and political
awareness. We conducted an online survey of (N = 200) male and female undergraduate and
graduate students from the University of Narowal, Pakistan. We used Qualtrics software to
distribute our survey among students for data-collection purposes. The results reveal that the
majority of the students use social media for political awareness and information. Political
efficacy is significantly based on online political participation. In addition to that, social media
is a vital platform for netizens to participate in real-life political activities. In conclusion, the
findings of the study suggest that online political activities strongly correlate to political
awareness and offline political participation. In rural areas of Pakistan, the younger generations
are very active on social media to participate in online and offline political happenings.

Warrant: Social media creates social ties which increase political participation

Bowyer, Benjamin. “The Political Significance of Social Media Activity and Social Networks.”
Political Communication, vol. 35, no. 3, Routledge, July 2018, pp. 470–93. Taylor and
Francis+NEJM, doi:10.1080/10584609.2018.1426662.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10584609.2018.1426662

This paper examines panel data from two waves of the Youth Participatory Politics Survey, a
nationally representative sample of young people in the United States. It employs a cross-lagged
design to investigate the extent to which common forms of online activity create pathways to
online and offline forms of political activity. Specifically, we examine the influence of
Friendship-Driven (FD) and Interest-Driven (ID) online activity on online participatory politics
and on offline forms of political action. Our findings reveal that FD and ID activity relate to
political engagement, but in different ways. In addition, we find that the size of young

Champion Briefs 137

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021
people’s social networks interacts with both FD and ID online activity to promote political
activity. This indicates that having exposure to “weak-ties” (resulting from large social
networks) promote higher levels of political engagement. These findings demonstrate the need
to specify the kinds of online activities in which youth are engaged and, more broadly, the
political significance of social media and social networks

Impact: Youth political participation is essential for a representative democracy

Chianese, Carla. “The Importance of Youth Participation in Formal Political Processes .” Electoral
Knowledge Project, 2018, https://aceproject.org/ace-en/topics/yt/yt10/yt210/the-
importance-of-youth-participation-in-formal.

For political systems to be representative, all parts of society must be included. When young
people are disenfranchised or disengaged from political processes, a significant portion of the
population has little or no voice or influence in decisions that affect group members’ lives. A
key consequence is the undermining of political systems’ representativeness. To make a
difference in the longer term, it is essential that young people are engaged in formal political
processes and have a say in formulating today’s and tomorrow’s politics. Inclusive political
participation is not only a fundamental political and democratic right but also is crucial to
building stable and peaceful societies and developing policies that respond to the specific needs
of younger generations. For young people to be adequately represented in political institutions,
processes, and decision-making, and in particular in elections, they must know their rights and
be given the necessary knowledge and capacity to participate in a meaningful way at all levels.

Analysis: This is a good argument because the impact is very long term. Even if the con proves
that social media is bad for politics right now, in the long run it is essential for getting the next
generation of voters to participate in politics. Thus, this allows you to outweigh almost any con
argument on time frame.

Champion Briefs 138

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social Media contributes to teen depression and anxiety

Answer: Social media has spaces for people to discuss mental illness and feel comfortable.

Warrant: Social media allows people to have open discussions

Collette Snowden. “I’m right, you’re wrong, and here’s a link to prove it: how social
media shapes public debate” The Conversation. 2015.
https://theconversation.com/im-right-youre-wrong-and-heres-a-link-to-prove-it-
how-social-media-shapes-public-debate-65723

“Social media has revolutionized how we communicate. In this series, we look at how it
has changed the media, politics, health, education and the law. Once upon a time
different political perspective were provided to the public by media reporting, often
through their own painstaking research. If an issue gained attention, several
perspectives might compete to inform and shape public opinion. It often took decades
for issues to make the transition from the margin to the centre of politics. Now, within
minutes of any event, announcement or media appearance, we are able to get those
perspectives thousands of times instantly via social media. There are constant
reactions and debates, often repeating the same arguments and information.”

Warrant: Social media amplified marginalized voices

Collette Snowden. “I’m right, you’re wrong, and here’s a link to prove it: how social
media shapes public debate” The Conversation. 2015.
https://theconversation.com/im-right-youre-wrong-and-heres-a-link-to-prove-it-
how-social-media-shapes-public-debate-65723

Champion Briefs 139

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

“The level of hostility encountered in many debates is a powerful deterrent for many.
Nonsense and profundity, truth and fabrication, have equal rights on social media. It can
be a frustrating and bewildering place, and a great waster of time. Nonetheless, with
the dedication and commitment of a few passionate supporters, small and more
marginalised groups are able to create a public presence that previously would have
required years to establish through community meetings, lecture tours, fundraising
events and lobbying.
A group like the Free West Papua movement, established in 1965 but outlawed by the
Indonesian government, has successfully used social media to generate global
support. Other cause-related issues – such as animal-rights activism – that were
previously confined to the margins of public attention have benefited from the greater
reach social media allows.”

Warrant: Social media has become a powerful force in policy debate

Collette Snowden. “I’m right, you’re wrong, and here’s a link to prove it: how social
media shapes public debate” The Conversation. 2015.
https://theconversation.com/im-right-youre-wrong-and-heres-a-link-to-prove-it-
how-social-media-shapes-public-debate-65723

“Communications technology has also enabled social media to amplify many debates
about long-standing issues, such as domestic violence, by allowing people to share
their stories and engage in debates. These in turn can place pressure on politicians to
act and contribute to critical offline discussions. Just how powerful is it? The influence
of social media on politics and public perception is indisputable, but the extent of that
influence is yet to be determined. While social media was initially dismissed by some
politicians as trivial, few make that argument now. Social media analytics are scrutinised
with the same intensity as polls, and politicians and political parties follow social media
exchanges closely..”

Champion Briefs 140

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

Warrant: Social media debates allow for political change

Melissa Spinner. “The Effects of Social Media on Democratization.” CUNY. 2012.

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1109&context=cc_
etds_theses

“The Internet is not the first technology associated with freedom. Previous inventions
such as the printing press, telegraph, radio, telephone and computer all have the ability
to free individuals, as well as to assist their oppressors.7 However, unlike the
television, radio, and printing press, the Internet is both interactive and personalized
to allow users to share experiences online.8 Barry Wellman argues that social
networks are “profoundly transforming the nature of communities, sociality, and
interpersonal relations”.9 These networks enable the communication between
different cultures by sharing their values of communication despite and different
values they may have.”

Warrant: Social Media helps expand freedom

Melissa Spinner. “The Effects of Social Media on Democratization.” CUNY. 2012.

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1109&context=cc_
etds_theses

“Digital technologies have several features that assist and enhance the
democratization process. In recent years digital media has become inherent in many
western societies and a crucial form of communication. These communities offer users
empowerment and nourish the ideals of a citizen-based form of democracy. Their
speed combined with their low costs allows activists to organize around concrete
goals.14 These tech savvy activists generally think of themselves as belonging to a global

Champion Briefs 141

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

movement. Their local activities become directly linked via photographs, articles, and
sound clips to problems around the world. These mediums also allow for a constant
flow of information in societies where the media is generally censored to permit only
pro-government messages. They also give a voice to those that have been silenced.”

Analysis: This argument is strong because it shows the link between social media and the core
democratic value of free and open information. Show the judge that no matter what,
Americans get access to more information.

Champion Briefs 142

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social media is used to silence dissent

Answer: Social media makes it easier for people to protest on the platform and also organize protests in
person as well.

Warrant: Social media has recently increased activism

Rosenblatt, Kalhan. “How 2020 Became the Summer of Activism Both Online and Offline.” NBC
News, 26 Sept. 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/summer-digital-
protest-how-2020-became-summer-activism-both-online-n1241001.

The summer was marked by a surging movement of activism calling for social change but with
the coronavirus pandemic affecting how people interact with one another, many of these calls
to action took place online. Social movements fueled by social media are not new, according
to Alyssa Bowen, a doctoral candidate in history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, with an expertise as a historian of global contemporary social movements. She pointed to
the Arab Spring and the Occupy Wall Street movements, both of which occurred in the early
2010s, as predecessors of 2020s progression into digital activism. And with the pandemic
forcing people into their homes, oftentimes they could watch a protest against the president
or a protest for Black Lives Matter unfold in real time. “You’re seeing people staying at home
without a ton to do except watch Netflix and go on Twitter, and I think people took great notice
of what's going on even more than usual, because they had real-time access to what was going
on at the protests,” Bowen said.

Warrant: Social media provides a platform for galvanizing protestors

Herrera, Sarah E. Needleman and Sebastian. “Social Media Becomes Battleground Over Days of
Street Protests.” Wall Street Journal, 2 June 2020. www.wsj.com,
https://www.wsj.com/articles/social-media-becomes-battleground-over-days-of-street-
protests-11591018647.

Champion Briefs 143

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021
Social media has become a central battleground for the protests across the U.S., with tech
platforms amplifying tensions while also providing a real-time chronicle of the riots and police
responses that might not have otherwise gained widespread attention. A lone video of the
violent arrest that led to the death of George Floyd posted last Monday on Facebook by a
bystander, Darnella Frazier, has been shared by 52,000 people there and found its way to
Twitter , Instagram and other social platforms, widening awareness of the episode. Since then,
those outlets have been a tool to spread dissent and anger by those upset at Mr. Floyd’s death
and those disturbed by the sometimes violent actions of both protesters and police in cities
across the country. Social media played a critical role in galvanizing the protesters through the
quickly shared video around Mr. Floyd’s arrest, said Alex Stamos, director of Stanford
University’s Internet Observatory. “It nationalizes local issues like this,” he said, adding that
“maybe 20 years ago this might have only been covered at the local press.”

Warrant: Social media is used to engage in protests directly on the platform

McKeon, Robin Tamarelli, and Drew H. Gitomer. “Social Media, Political Mobilization, and High-
Stakes Testing.” Frontiers in Education, vol. 4, Frontiers, 2019. Frontiers,
doi:10.3389/feduc.2019.00055.

Social media posts in a Facebook group organized around the issue of refusing high-stakes
testing in New Jersey were analyzed to understand how individuals and organizations use
social media to engage in political protest against educational policies. Facebook posts were
categorized by their theme (reasons for opposing high-stakes testing), whether they discussed
political protest tactics (both traditional and virtual), and whether they contained web links to
other social media sites. Interviews with Test Refusal Movement participants were conducted
to supplement the Facebook analysis by providing a more nuanced understanding of how
movement participants navigate online affinity spaces and how new forms of protest have
transformed but not replaced traditional political protest against policies.

Impact: Protests impact every facet of American democracy

Champion Briefs 144

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021
Gillion, Daniel. Why Protests Matter in American Democracy. 2 June 2020,
https://press.princeton.edu/ideas/why-protests-matter-in-american-democracy.

As protests continue nationwide in honor of George Floyd and to express outrage with systemic
racism, it remains to be seen how the current civil unrest will shape democracy long term, and
impact voting in the fall. The “silent majority”—a phrase coined by Richard Nixon in 1969 in
response to Vietnam War protests and later used by Donald Trump as a campaign slogan—
refers to the supposed wedge that exists between protestors in the street and the voters at
home. The Loud Minority by Daniel Q. Gillion upends this view by demonstrating that voters
are in fact directly informed and influenced by protest activism. Consequently, as protests
grow in America, every facet of the electoral process is touched by this loud minority,
benefiting the political party perceived to be the most supportive of the protestors’
messaging. Read a free sample of Gillion’s important book here.

Analysis: Facilitating protest and dissent makes it harder for the government to act in an
oppressive manner, which is why we saw uprisings like the Arab Spring.

Champion Briefs 145

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social media undermines fair trials

Argument: Social media allows people to get more access to political opinions and information, which
counteracts injustice.

Warrant: Social media promotes voter turnout among young people

Kurkjian, Noah. Youth Voting Population Mobilized by Social Media. 27 Oct. 2020,
https://fsutorch.com/2020/10/27/youth-voting-population-mobilized-by-social-media/.

The 2020 general election is expected to have the largest youth voter turnout in decades.
Some are crediting this influx in participation to social media and its massive influence. With
both candidates having a large social media presence, Joseph Biden has a combined 20 million
followers and incumbent Donald Trump boasts a massive 140 million combined followers, they
both have significant reach. But followers aren’t the only thing that matters. How the
candidates use their platform matters just as much, and a lot of young voters find some of
their behavior off-putting. “They are using twitter for their little wars, and it honestly looks
immature for 70-something year old’s,” nuclear medical technology sophomore Brynn
Krzyminski said. “They should be using their large platforms to inform instead of to cut down.”

Warrant: Social media allowed people to watch each other vote during the pandemic

Procaccia, Ariel. “Opinion | Social Media May Have Contributed to Record Voter Turnout in the
2020 Election.” Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2020. www.washingtonpost.com,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/11/27/social-media-probably-
contributed-record-voter-turnout-2020-election/.

But how can such a hypothesis be tested? Funk points out that social pressure is known to be
strongest in small communities, where people are more likely to gossip about their neighbors’
virtues and vices. If the desire to be seen voting did significantly contribute to turnout, we would
expect the introduction of mail-in voting to have a less positive impact on turnout the smaller

Champion Briefs 146

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021
the community is. Funk finds that this is indeed the case by analyzing several decades’ worth of
federal elections in Switzerland, where different cantons (the Swiss equivalent of states)
introduced mail-in voting at different times. In fact, while overall turnout slightly increased with
mail-in voting, in certain small communities the option to vote by mail decreased turnout.
Nowadays the online world is home to millions of small communities; Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter and other platforms have become social pressure-cookers. Especially in this pandemic-
burdened time of homemade bread, homemade haircuts and homemade ballots (of the
legitimate variety), social media gave America a socially distanced opportunity to make voting
observable again. And voters could influence their friends to vote too, while they were at it. In
2020, a time-honored system of democracy may have thrived, against all odds, thanks in part
to social media. It would be just another irony in a year that has had more than its fair share.

Warrant: Efforts to spread the word about voting on social media have increased turnout

Bond, Robert M., et al. “A 61-Million-Person Experiment in Social Influence and Political
Mobilization.” Nature, vol. 489, no. 7415, Sept. 2012. PubMed Central,
doi:10.1038/nature11421. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11421

To put these results in context, it is important to note that turnout has been steadily increasing
in recent US midterm elections, from 36.3% of the voting age population in 2002 to 37.2% in
2006, and to 37.8% in 2010. Our results suggest that the Facebook social message increased
turnout directly by about 60,000 voters and indirectly through social contagion by another
280,000 voters, for a total of 340,000 additional votes. That represents about 0.14% of the
voting age population of about 236 million in 2010. However, this estimate does not include
the effect of the treatment on Facebook users who were registered to vote but who we could
not match because of nicknames, typographical errors, and so on. It would be complex to
estimate the number of users on Facebook who are in the voter record but unmatchable, and it
is not clear whether treatment effects would be of the same magnitude for these individuals, so
we restrict our estimate to the matched group that we were able to sample and observe. This
means it is possible that more of the 0.60% growth in turnout between 2006 and 2010 might
have been caused by a single message on Facebook.

Champion Briefs 147

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021
Impact: Higher voter turnout leads to more pro-poor policies

McElwee, Sean. “Why Increasing Voter Turnout Affects Policy.” The Atlantic, 15 Sept. 2015,
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/why-non-voters-
matter/405250/.

One researcher, for example, found that higher turnout among the wealthy changes the
legislative agenda: Policymakers spend less time on bills relating to housing, welfare and
healthcare. They’re also likely to pass anti-predatory lending statutes, expand children’s health
insurance, or increase the minimum wage. Conversely, another study finds that higher turnout
among the poor leads to higher spending on welfare programs. Counties with higher turnout
receive more funding from the federal government, while districts with lower turnout have
less influence on the policy positions taken by their representatives.

Analysis: Without the influence of social media, the public would be less engaged, and
injustices that have been shared on social media would have never been brought to light.

Champion Briefs 148

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social Media is Addictive

Answer: Social media is not addictive

Warrant: Few people are addicted

Erin Brodwin. “There's no solid evidence that people get addicted to social media —
and using it could actually be beneficial” Business Insider. 2018.
https://www.businessinsider.com/social-media-iphone-facebook-instagram-
addiction-2018-3

“But the conclusion I gathered was the opposite of what I've been hearing in the news.
Social media and smartphones are not ruining our brains, nor will either become the
downfall of a generation. The vast majority of the large and well-designed statistical
studies on smartphones and the brain actually suggest these technologies are having
little to no effect on our health and well-being. And in some cases, the availability of
social media and phones may be a power for good.”

Warrant: Studies are poorly designed and too small

Erin Brodwin. “There's no solid evidence that people get addicted to social media —
and using it could actually be beneficial” Business Insider. 2018.
https://www.businessinsider.com/social-media-iphone-facebook-instagram-
addiction-2018-3

“Most of the headlines about social media — the ones that warn us about
smartphones destroying a generation, ruining our posture and mood, and eroding our
brains — are simply "a projection of our own fears," Andrew Przybylski, a senior
research fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, told Business Insider.

Champion Briefs 149

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

That's because most existing studies on social media's effects suffer from the same
problems that have plagued the social science field for decades. For one thing, many
of the studies are too small to carry a lot of statistical power, Przybylski said.
Researchers also often go into a study with an agenda or hypothesis that they hope
their study will support. "

Mitigation: Even high social media usage is not “addiction.”

Warrant: Using something a lot does not make it addictive

Bev John. “Too much social media can be harmful, but it’s not addictive like drugs” The
Conversation. 2021. https://theconversation.com/too-much-social-media-can-
be-harmful-but-its-not-addictive-like-drugs-157082

“And in 2016, we investigated the ways people seek validation on social media. We
looked at how often people manipulate posts to increase the number of likes received,
use social media to boost spirits or blindly post about issues with which they did not
necessarily agree. We found when this kind of online behaviour increased, self-esteem
decreased. But our findings didn’t necessarily show a compulsion to use social media –
something key in making it an addiction. Other social factors, such as fear of missing
out and narcissistic personality traits, may drive the need to use social media to an
unhealthy degree.”

Warrant: There are important differences between addiction and social media use

Bev John. “Too much social media can be harmful, but it’s not addictive like drugs” The
Conversation. 2021. https://theconversation.com/too-much-social-media-can-
be-harmful-but-its-not-addictive-like-drugs-157082

Champion Briefs 150

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

“There are important differences between excessive social media use and substances
in terms of addiction. For example, withdrawal from the latter is often physically
unpleasant and sometimes dangerous without medical supervision. Users often suffer
stigma, which can be a barrier to seeking help. In comparison, it hasn’t yet been
established that there are physical withdrawal effects when people stop using social
media. Considering social media use more as a continuum of possible harm might
allow more scope for appropriately targeted messages that could prevent problems
developing in the first place.”

Analysis: This argument is a simple de-link – there is simply not enough evidence to suggest
that social media is addictive

Champion Briefs 151

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social Media Can Alter Political Behavior

Answer: Social media is good for politics

Warrant: People see social media as a positive for politics

Aaron Smith. “Publics think technology impacts the political environment in both
positive and negative ways.” Pew Research. 2019.
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/05/13/publics-think-technology-
impacts-the-political-environment-in-both-positive-and-negative-ways/

“On the positive side of the ledger, a median of 78% say access to the internet, mobile
phones and social media has made people more informed about current events. And
when asked about the impact of social media on the broader political process,
majorities in nine of these 11 countries say they have increased the ability for ordinary
citizens to take part in the political process.”

Warrant: Social media users feel informed

Aaron Smith. “Publics think technology impacts the political environment in both
positive and negative ways.” Pew Research. 2019.
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/05/13/publics-think-technology-
impacts-the-political-environment-in-both-positive-and-negative-ways/

“For example, social media users are more likely than non-users to say technology has
made people more informed about current events in all 11 countries surveyed; more
accepting of people with different views in eight countries; and more willing to engage
in political debates in nine countries.10 At the same time, in nine countries a larger
share of users say technology is making people more divided in their political opinions –

Champion Briefs 152

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

and in 10 countries a larger share of social media users say technology is making people
easier to mislead with misinformation (see Appendix C for detailed tables). "

Mitigation: Social media has positive political effects

Warrant: Social media increases voter information

Heather Satterfield. “How Social Media Affects Politics.” Meltwater. 2020.

https://www.meltwater.com/en/blog/social-media-affects-politics#

“One of the positive effects that social media has on politics is the opportunity for
voters to interact more easily with candidates and elected officials. Traditionally, if
you wanted to meet a politician or candidate, you’d have to attend a live event. Not
everyone is able to do this. With modern technology, it’s now possible to attend virtual
events where you can participate in live streaming events and interact with politicians
and candidates.”

Warrant: Social media helps candidates tailor messages

Heather Satterfield. “How Social Media Affects Politics.” Meltwater. 2020.

https://www.meltwater.com/en/blog/social-media-affects-politics#

“Targeting is used throughout the advertising industry to make sure that ads and
messages reach the right audience. Politicians do this as well. In the age of social media,
politicians and people running for office are able to target their campaigns. If a
candidate wants to address the concerns of women, college students, retired people,
Latinos or any other group of voters, they can now tailor their messages. Just as
advertisers on Facebook are able to use analytics and targeted advertising, so can

Champion Briefs 153

Pro Responses to Con Arguments June 2021

candidates and politicians. Thus, if you notice that political messages seem to be talking
to you personally, this is no accident.”

Analysis: Use this response to show the judge that the harms of social media must be weighed
against tangible political benefits. There are plenty of important political benefits to go
alongside the harms.

Champion Briefs 154

Con Arguments June 2021

CON: Social media inhibits free speech

Argument: Social Media Platforms are the new public spaces.

Warrant: Social Media limits the discussions that can be had online.

David L. Hudson, Jr.. “In the Age of Social Media, Expand the Reach of the First
Amendment.” American Bar Association: Human Rights Magazine Vol. 43, No. 4:
The Ongoing Challenge to Define Free Speech. 21 March 2021.
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine
_home/the-ongoing-challenge-to-define-free-speech/in-the-age-of-socia-media-
first-amendment/

But, in 2018, speech takes place online much more so than it does in traditional public
forums, such as public parks and streets. People communicate on social networking
sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, more than in any offline venues. The U.S.
Supreme Court recognized this reality last year in Packingham v. North
Carolina (2017): “While in the past there may have been difficulty in identifying the
most important places (in a spatial sense) for the exchange of views, today the answer
is clear. It is cyberspace—the ‘vast democratic forums of the Internet’ in general, and
social media in particular.” (Packingham v. North Carolina, 137 S.Ct. 1730, 1735 (2017).)
In his opinion for the Court, Justice Anthony Kennedy elaborated that the expansion of
social media has contributed to a “revolution of historic proportions.” Id. at 1736. In
other words, social media networking sites have become the modern- day equivalent
of traditional public forums like public parks and public streets.

Champion Briefs 156

Con Arguments June 2021

Warrant: As private companies, social media limits free speech.

Michael Fuller. “Know Your Rights with Freedom of Speech and Social Media. NBC CT.
January 12, 2021. Web. 5 May 2021.
https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/know-your-rights-with-freedom-
of-speech-and-social-
media/2402583/#:~:text=It's%20not%20a%20violation%20of,free%20speech%2
C%20not%20private%20companies

When it comes to the public's relationship with social media some key reminders-it’s
not your right to inhabit space on those platforms because they are all owned by
private companies. When you sign up for a social media account, you agree to terms
and conditions and if you violate those stipulations you can be suspended or even
permanently removed from the sites altogether.It’s not a violation of your
constitutional rights to free speech, but you may not be following the guidelines you
agreed to in those terms and conditions to use private social media platforms. The First
Amendment is meant to keep the government from restricting free speech, not
private companies.

Warrant: Social media uses less democratic free speech policies.

Citron, Danielle Keats. “What to Do about the Emerging Threat of Censorship Creep on
the Internet”. Cato Institute. POLICY ANALYSIS NO. 828. 28 Nov 2017.
https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/what-do-about-emerging-threat-
censorship-creep-internet

For much of its history, Silicon Valley has been a full-throated champion of First
Amendment values. When online platforms banned certain types of speech in terms-

Champion Briefs 157

Con Arguments June 2021

of-service (TOS) agreements, they proceeded cautiously, with a preference for an

American-style approach to free expression. More recently, tech companies have
tailored their speech policies to European norms rather than American ones. Ordinary
market forces were not behind this shift. Instead, threatened legislation prompted the
change. In the wake of terrorist attacks in late 2015, European Union (EU) regulators
warned tech companies that they would face prohibitively expensive fines and
potential criminal penalties unless extremist and hateful content was swiftly removed.
In response, the dominant social media platforms have altered their speech policies to
ban extremist content in ways that risk censorship creep. Already, European
lawmakers have pressed companies to ban “fake news” to help combat extremist
expression. No doubt, they will press for the removal of far more, including political
dissent and cultural commentary. The impact will be far reaching. Because TOS
agreements apply everywhere that platforms are accessed, the changes will affect
free expression on a global scale.

Warrant: Free speech should be allowed in private spheres.

Lakier, Genevieve. “The Great Free-Speech Reversal.” The Atlantic. 27 Jan 2021.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/01/first-amendment-
regulation/617827/

This argument eventually found favor with progressive justices on the Supreme Court
during the New Deal and led the court to conclude—as it did in the 1946
decision Marsh v. Alabama, for example—that the First Amendment could prevent
private corporations from excluding speakers from property they owned and
controlled when doing so was necessary to ensure that “the channels of
communication remain free.” In later decades, although the Court struggled to define
exactly when and under what circumstances the First Amendment applied to private
actors, it continued to insist that it did sometimes apply. In 1968, for example, the

Champion Briefs 158

Con Arguments June 2021

great liberal lion, Justice Thurgood Marshall, wrote an opinion that held that a
shopping mall’s private owner could not exclude protesters from the mall’s
passageways without violating their First Amendment rights. Only after President
Richard Nixon appointed four pro-business conservative justices did the Supreme Court
reject this view of the First Amendment, and insist that private corporations have no
constitutional obligation to grant access to their property to speakers they dislike, no
matter how powerful those corporations might be.

Impact: Social Media limits on free speech is a slippery slope.

Marie-Andrée Weiss. Regulating Freedom of Speech on Social Media: Comparing the EU

and the U.S. Approach. Stanford Law School. 2019.
https://law.stanford.edu/projects/regulating-freedom-of-speech-on-social-
media-comparing-the-eu-and-the-u-s-approach/

What is the purpose of these national exceptions to free speech (III)? Letting negative
speech to be published has both positive and negative consequences. However,
deciding whether a particular speech is worthy of protection, or not, is a slippery
slope. Indeed, not every value is universally recognized, with the possible exceptions of
safety and privacy. However, even then the laws balancing these two values with
freedom of speech differ greatly in the U.S. and in Europe. Striking a balance between
undeterred free speech and censorship to protect values considered worthy of
protection is indeed a difficult exercise. Censorship of social media speech may not
outweigh the benefit of forbidding a particular speech, but allowing complete free
speech on social media may also have negative impacts, such as fostering cyber bullying
or hate speech. Speech is not black or white, bad speech on one side and good speech
on the other side. Who has the right to decide which speech must be suppressed on
social media sites (IV)? Some states have chosen the radical way of blocking web access

Champion Briefs 159

Con Arguments June 2021

entirely as a way to censor speech. Other states have pressured social media sites to
monitor and block content deemed unsavory.

Impact: Too much power to social media

Valerie C. Brannon. Free Speech and the Regulation of Social Media Content.
Congressional Research Service. March 27, 2019.
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R45650.pdf

Social media companies have recognized their role in providing platforms for speech. To
take one example, in a September 2018 hearing before the Senate Select Committee on
Intelligence, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Twitter, Jack Dorsey,
repeatedly referred to Twitter as a “digital public square,” emphasizing the
importance of “free and open exchange” on the platform. Critically, however, social
media sites also have content-moderation policies under which they may remove
certain content. Further, these sites determine how content is presented: who sees it,
when, and where. As one scholar has said, social media sites “create rules and systems
to curate speech out of a sense of corporate social responsibility, but also . . . because
their economic viability depends on meeting users’ speech and community norms.”
Speech posted on the internet “exists in an architecture of privately owned websites,
servers, routers, and backbones,” and its existence online is subject to the rules of
those private companies. Consequently, one First Amendment scholar predicted ten
years ago that “the most important decisions affecting the future of freedom of
speech will not occur in constitutional law; they will be decisions about technological
design, legislative and administrative regulations, the formation of new business
models, and the collective activities of end-users.”

Impact: Limiting free speech harms political discourse and divides us.

Champion Briefs 160

Con Arguments June 2021

Koetsier, John. “Social Censorship: Should Social Media’s Policy Be Free Speech?. Forbes.
25 Oct 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2020/10/25/social-
censorship-should-social-medias-policy-be-free-speech/?sh=7a60b037489a

“There’s a growing body of evidence that what is happening, that the content policies
on the big networks are fueling the cultural divide and a lot of the polarization and
civil unrest,” he told me. “And people like Deeyah Kahn have done TED Talks on this
also, directly engaging hate head-on. And the evidence actually shows that that’s really
the only way to change minds. You’re almost guaranteed not to change their mind if
you ban them. In fact, the opposite, I mean, you can’t communicate with them if you
ban them.”

Analysis: As private companies, social media platforms are not venues guaranteeing free
speech. However, they have declared themselves a public sphere, and the Supreme Court has
at one point determined that private companies cannot limit free speech, even if it was walked
back. Either way, if social media was to truly benefit democratic values, it would have to be
open to all speech as long as it falls within the guidelines set by the Supreme Court, whether or
not they like it or not. As it is right now, they wield too much power in determining what is
allowed, what is not, silencing voices that they may disagree with, or determine violates their
policies, while other voices that also “violate” their policies go unchecked, a slippery slope of
who determines what is allowed and what is not.

Champion Briefs 161

Con Arguments June 2021

CON: Social Media increases violence

Argument: Social media encourages violent behavior.

Warrant: Social Media influences violence among youth.

Ghosh, Shreesha. ‘Does Social Media Induce Violence Among Youth?”. International
Business Times. 13 Aug 2017. https://www.ibtimes.com/does-social-media-
induce-violence-among-youth-2577472

Several news reports of cyber bullying, criminal activity on social media or through it,
gang violence, and suicide have surfaced and social media appears to fuel these
troubling incidents. The advancement in technology has led to a greater access to
firearms and harmful explosives, and it is even more encouraged by social media,
raising serious concerns. Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are
considered to be the drivers of violent crimes. They also tend to instigate people into
indulging in criminal activities.

Warrant: Social Media addiction increases violent behavior in teens

Gansner, MD, Meredith E. “The Internet Made Me Do It”-Social Media and Potential for
Violence in Adolescents”. Psychiatric Times, Vol 34 No 9, Volume 34, Issue 9. 5
Sept 2017. https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/-internet-made-me-do-
itsocial-media-and-potential-violence-adolescents

Quantity of internet use may also be contributory. Several studies connect problematic
internet use (PIU) or internet addiction (IA) to increased aggressive behaviors, perhaps
because of similar neurobiology between the 2 conditions. PIU and IA are often broadly
defined as internet use that is uncontrollable, markedly distressing, or time-consuming

Champion Briefs 162

Con Arguments June 2021

or that results in social, occupational, or financial difficulties. A study of more than 2000
Korean high school students found a nearly two fold increase in aggression in severely
internet-addicted youth over mildly internet-addicted youth, and similar findings have
been replicated in other adolescent studies. Other measures of aggressive behavior
show correlation as well. American high school students who met criteria for PIU were
significantly more likely to have been in physical fights than were those in a non-PIU
cohort. Teenagers who spend hours “liking” their friends’ pictures on social
networking sites may be significantly more likely to have other traits associated with
violent behavior aside from their internet habits. The goal of a large body of research
has been to characterize the population of adolescents with PIU and to examine
comorbidities.

Warrant: Social Media is used to promote human trafficking.

Withers, Ph.D, Mellissa.“Social Media Platforms Help Promote Human Trafficking: How
sex trafficking is bolstered by social media, and what to do about it.” Psychology
today. 22 Nov 2019. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/modern-day-
slavery/201911/social-media-platforms-help-promote-human-trafficking

Unfortunately, social media has also opened new avenues for sexual violence against
women. Human trafficking is one major example of this. As the United
Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women approaches
on November 25, let’s shine a light on the role social media plays in facilitating this
violence, and figure out how to stop it. Traffickers often groom and control their
victims through online platforms. Between 2015 and 2018, the National Human
Trafficking Hotline documented almost 1,000 cases of potential victims of sex
trafficking alone who were recruited through internet platforms, most often
Facebook, but also Instagram, Snapchat, Craigslist, online dating sites, and chat rooms.
A recent nationally representative survey of more than 1,000 American kids age 13 to

Champion Briefs 163

Con Arguments June 2021

17 found that 70 percent of them used social media multiple times a day. Predators
can easily pose online as someone looking for a date in order to build trust and recruit
victims. Traffickers often identify vulnerable young people through their social media
presence. For example, posts that may suggest low self-esteem, problems at home,
or loneliness can signal to a trafficker that a person may be easily victimized . Recruiting
victims online is generally much less risky than recruiting victims in person. Sometimes
when victims are recruited through social media sites, they never even meet their
traffickers in person. A 2018 study found that 55 percent of domestic minor sex
trafficking survivors who became victims in 2015 or later reported meeting their
traffickers for the first time using text, a website, or a mobile app.

Impact: Violence decreases quality of life

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. “Crime and Violence”. US

Department of Health and Human Services. 2020.
https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-
determinants-health/interventions-resources/crime-and-violence

Violence can lead to premature death or cause non-fatal injuries. People who survive
violent crime endure physical pain and suffering and may also experience mental
distress and reduced quality of life. Repeated exposure to crime and violence may be
linked to an increase in negative health outcomes. For example, people who fear crime
in their communities may engage in less physical activity. As a result, they may report
poorer self-rated physical and mental health. One study found that people who perceive
their environment to be less safe from crime may also have higher body mass index
scores and higher levels of obesity due to reduced physical activity. The effects of
exposure to violence in childhood may be seen in adulthood and can result in greater
risk for substance use, risky sexual behavior, and unsafe driving behavior. Individuals
exposed to violence at any age are more likely to engage in and experience intimate

Champion Briefs 164

Con Arguments June 2021

partner violence. Women exposed to intimate partner violence have an increased risk
of physical health issues such as injuries, and mental health disorders such as
disordered eating, depression and suicidal ideation.

Impact: Cyberbullying is violence which harms quality of life.

Ghada M. Abaido (2020) Cyberbullying on social media platforms among university

students in the United Arab Emirates, International Journal of Adolescence and
Youth, 25:1, 407-420, DOI: 10.1080/02673843.2019.1669059

A 2016 report of the Cyberbullying Research Centre indicates that 33.8% of middle-and
high-school students aged between 13 and 17 are at some point subject to being
victims of cyberbullying. Across most of the recent studies conducted in this sphere in
the last decade, the prevalence rates of cyberbullying range from 10% to 40% (Kowalski,
Giumetti, Schroeder, & Lattanner, 2014; Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr, 2010;
O’Brennan, Bradshaw, & Sawyer, 2009). For both individuals and organizations, the
experience of cyberbullying has also been linked with significant negative outcomes
such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, sleeping and eating disorders, and
decreased academic performance (Beran & Li, 2005; Mitchell, Ybarra, &
Finkelhor, 2007; Privitera & Campbell, 2009; Ybarra, Diener-West, & Leaf, 2007).
Moreover, bullycide has been an emergent phenomenon in many societies. It is a
hybrid term that refers to the phenomenon of young people who experience different
forms of bullying and its consequences taking their own lives. Tragic suicides resulting
from bullying were recently reported in Canada, the United States of America (US),
and the United Kingdom (UK). Such incidents also indicate the gravity of different
forms of bullying (online and offline), especially through social media platforms where
the victim has nowhere to hide and is constantly exposed to aggression.

Impact: Social Media is responsible for lives impacted by violence.

Champion Briefs 165

Con Arguments June 2021

Leetaru, Kalev. “Should Social Media Be Held Responsible For The Atrocities And Deaths
It Facilitates?”. Forbes 23 Nov 2018.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2018/11/23/should-social-media-
be-held-responsible-for-the-atrocities-and-deaths-it-
facilitates/?sh=22c769ac38ec

Not a week goes by without another tragic story of how social media directly
facilitated the injury, death or suffering of someone in the world. Earlier this month a
young female child was sold in South Sudan using Facebook to increase the bidding
price, while two months ago a false rumor spreading on WhatsApp in Mexico led an
angry mob to burn two innocent men to death. Perhaps most infamously, Facebook
has been singled out as a primary facilitator in the Myanmar genocide. As social media
is increasingly used to facilitate horrific activities across the world, should the
companies behind those platforms bear responsibility for the misuse of their platforms?
In particular, as companies make explicit decisions regarding how much to invest in
tools and staffing to counter misinformation and illegal use of their platforms,
knowing full well the dangers posed by underinvestment, should they be held
accountable in cases where they specifically declined to invest in protecting their
users against a given threat, knowing full well that that lack of investment could lead
to serious harm to those users?

Analysis: Social media has become a host to not just online violence, but also the facilitator of
real physical abuse and exploitation of women and children around the world. Whether it is
cyberbullying, gang violence, or human trafficking, social media clearly does not benefit
democratic values. Their clear disregard for human life and dignity is prevalent and unchecked
as they continue to allow these behaviors to continue on their platforms.

Champion Briefs 166

Con Arguments June 2021

CON: Social media contributes to an increase in the Mental Health

crisis

Argument: Social Media leads to depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems.

Inherency: The US has an increasing Mental Health Crisis

Maddy Reinert, Et all. “The State of Mental Health in America: 2020”. Mental Health
America 2019
https://mhanational.org/sites/default/files/State%20of%20Mental%20Health%2
0in%20America%20-%202020_0.pdf

The prevalence of any mental illness (AMI) among adults ages 18 and over increased
slightly from 18.19 percent in 2012 to 18.57 percent in 2017. Suicidal ideation among
adults increased from 3.77 percent in 2012 to 4.19 percent in 2017. These findings are
consistent with SAMHSA’s report on the NSDUH data in 2015, which found that the
suicide rate had statistically significantly increased between 2011 and 2015 (when the
rate reached four percent). The highest increases in rates of suicidal ideation were
found in young adults, ages 18- 25. 2 Based on the findings above about the worsening
of mental health conditions, including those with severe functional impairment among
youth, it unfortunately should not be surprising that the data is showing an increase in
suicidal ideation in adults, particularly young adults. Investment in understanding and
addressing worsening youth mental health, as explained above, is crucial to suicide
prevention in adults. Without upstream prevention, early identification and treatment,
youth experiencing mental health conditions become adults experiencing suicidal
ideation and reaching a point of crisis.

Warrant: Social Media impacts mental health in teens.

Champion Briefs 167

Con Arguments June 2021

Hurley, LCSW, Katie. “Social Media and Teens: How Does Social Media Affect Teenagers’
Mental Health” Psycom. 2021. https://www.psycom.net/social-media-teen-
mental-health

Read enough of the current research and you’ll find that the negatives tend to feel
bigger than the positives. While teens can use social media to connect and create
friendships with others, they also confront cyberbullying, trolls, toxic comparisons,
sleep deprivation, and less frequent face-to-face interactions, to name a few. Too
much time spent scrolling through social media can result in symptoms of anxiety
and/or depression. Here’s how social media can be destructive: Focusing on likes: The
need to gain “likes” on social media can cause teens to make choices they would
otherwise not make, including altering their appearance, engaging in negative
behaviors, and accepting risky social media challenges. Cyberbullying: Teens girls in
particular are at risk of cyberbullying through use of social media, but teen boys are not
immune. Cyberbullying is associated with depression, anxiety, and an elevated risk of
suicidal thoughts.

Warrant: Social Media can significantly harm mental health

McLean Medical Staff Writers. “The Social Dilemma: Social Media and Your Mental
Health.” Mclean Hospital. 9 Feb 2021.
https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-
your-mental-health

Social media has a reinforcing nature. Using it activates the brain’s reward center by
releasing dopamine, a “feel-good chemical” linked to pleasurable activities such as sex,
food, and social interaction. The platforms are designed to be addictive and are
associated with anxiety, depression, and even physical ailments. According to the Pew
Research Center, 69% of adults and 81% of teens in the U.S. use social media. This puts

Champion Briefs 168

Con Arguments June 2021

a large amount of the population at an increased risk of feeling anxious, depressed, or

ill over their social media use.

Warrant: Social media harms to mental health impacts daily life.

Gordon, Sherri (Reviewed by Rachel Goldman). “Link Between Social Media and Mental
Health.” Very Well Mind. 4 Jan 2021. https://www.verywellmind.com/link-
between-social-media-and-mental-health-5089347

Aside from the increasing risks for depression and anxiety, social media impacts
mental health in a number of other ways too. For instance, social media can cause you
to experience feelings of inadequacy about your life and your appearance. Even if you
know that the images you see online are manipulated or represent someone else's
highlight reel, they can still cause feelings of insecurity, envy, and dissatisfaction.

Warrant: Social Media Harms to mental Health also impact physical well being

Mir, Elina, Novas, Caroline; Seymour, PhD, Meg. ”Social Media and Adolescents’ and
Young Adults’ Mental Health.” National Center for Health Research. 2021.
https://www.center4research.org/social-media-affects-mental-health/

Anxiety and depression are not the only mental health problems associated with social
media use. Research on adolescents has found that body image, for girls and boys, is
harmed by social media use. Higher social media use leads to “body surveillance,”
which refers to monitoring one’s own body and becoming judgmental of it. People who
do more body surveillance report feeling more shame about their bodies. Looking at
profiles of attractive people leads to more negative body image. There are many
“fitspiration” accounts on Instagram, posting about diet and exercise in order to be
thin, and it is common for people to filter or photoshop their posts on Instagram in

Champion Briefs 169

Con Arguments June 2021

order to remove blemishes. People compare themselves to these ideals or these

edited images and feel like they do not measure up. This can cause poor body image.
Another harmful aspect of social media is cyberbullying, which is bullying that occurs
online. As many as 72% of teens say that they have been cyberbullied at some point.
Cyberbullying is more strongly correlated with suicide attempts than is face-to-
face bullying. Unlike bullying that takes place in-person, victims of cyberbullying cannot
get away from it, it stays online, and it happens out of sight of teachers and parents.

Impact: Mental health impacts society and the economy

Wong, Gloria, Knapp, Martin. “Economics and mental health: the current scenario.”
World Psychiatry. 10 January 2020. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20692

On the one hand, the huge impact of mental ill-health on economics – through its
deleterious consequences, such as productivity losses and heavier use of resources for
treatment – is increasingly recognized with the help of disease-burden and COI studies.
The latter aggregate the direct and indirect costs generated by a condition. These
personal and economic consequences could affect the entire life course, and spillover
into family and wider community impacts. In 2011, the World Economic Forum
projected that, by 2030, mental ill-health will account for more than half of the global
economic burden attributable to non-communicable diseases, at US$6 trillion.

Impact: Mental Health impacts physical health

Grant, Kirstin, Director. “The Relationship between Mental Health, Mental Illness and
Chronic Physical Conditions” Canadian Mental Health Association.2021.
https://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/the-relationship-between-mental-health-
mental-illness-and-chronic-physical-conditions/

Champion Briefs 170

Con Arguments June 2021

Both mind and body are affected by changes to physiological and emotional
processes, as well as by social factors such as income and housing. These three
pathways of biology, illness experience, and the social determinants of health can
increase the likelihood of someone living with a mental illness or chronic physical
condition developing a co-existing condition. People living with mental illnesses
experience a range of physical symptoms that result both from the illness itself and as
a consequence of treatment. Mental illnesses can alter hormonal balances and sleep
cycles, while many psychiatric medications have side-effects ranging from weight gain
to irregular heart rhythms. These symptoms create an increased vulnerability to a
range of physical conditions. Furthermore, the way that people experience their mental
illnesses can increase their susceptibility of developing poor physical health. Mental
illness can impact social and cognitive function and decrease energy levels, which can
negatively impact the adoption of healthy behaviours. People may lack motivation to
take care of their health. Or, they may adopt unhealthy eating and sleeping habits,
smoke or abuse substances, as a consequence or response to their symptoms,
contributing to worse health outcomes.

Impact: Mental Health impacts quality of life

Cho Y, Lee JK, Kim D-H, Park J-H, Choi M, Kim H-J, et al. (2019) Factors associated with
quality of life in patients with depression: A nationwide population-based study.
PLoS ONE 14(7): e0219455. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219455

Depression is recognized as one of the most costly and common disorders worldwide,
and its large economic burden is derived from its high prevalence and substantial
functional disabilities entailed in the illness. Functional impairment inevitably leads to
deteriorations in QoL, or subjective perception of well-being in social, occupational, or
health-related dimensions. Several studies have explored and confirmed the
association between depression and QoL. Depression has been found to contribute to

Champion Briefs 171

Con Arguments June 2021

the development of several chronic medical diseases, including heart disease and
diabetes, resulting in further disability and low QoL. Meta-analyses have been
conducted in examining whether pharmacotherapy and/or psychotherapy are effective
in enhancing QoL via improving depressive symptoms, and have found mixed results.
Public concerns surrounding depression have been growing, regarding its widespread
prevalence and substantial impact on public health.

Analysis: The ultimate democratic value of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” cannot
be achieved without proper mental health. Mental health impacts not only the quality of life,
but the real possibility of suicide, ending life all together. Mental Health issues impairs the
ability to hold a job, care for ones self or family, and the ability to puruse one’s own idea of
happiness. Social Media contributes to an increase in mental health issues, especially in teens,
who then become adults still suffering from those issues and also still on social media. Social
media, while offering a place of help and interaction, also creates a breeding ground of abuse,
unrealistic ideals, and addiction all contributing to the increasing mental health crisis in this
country. Because of this, it cannot be beneficial to our democratic values as it harms the most
principle of them all.

Champion Briefs 172

Con Arguments June 2021

CON: Social Media increases Oppression

Argument: Social media enables government oppression.

Warrant: Social Media platforms have become tools of oppression

Schrader, Emily. “Why oppressive regimes succeed on social media.” The Jerusalem
Post. 12 Oct 2020. https://www.jpost.com/opinion/why-oppressive-regimes-
succeed-on-social-media-645492

This limitless access to information brings self-perpetuating cycles of extremism and

allows those with increasingly radical views that aren’t (and shouldn’t be) accepted by
mainstream society to find “allies.” Look no further than online pedophile rings, or
“communities” which radicalize Muslim youth to join ISIS. Add the fact that the
Internet has become a place where many vulnerable youth find solace as they mature,
and you have a toxic combination. But beyond the risks for individuals, social media
poses a threat to democratic civilization as we know it. A digital platform that is free
for all in real time sounds like a great idea in theory, but the biggest beneficiaries will
always be regimes that don’t care about accurate information or free speech, but
operate with a clear-cut agenda to maintain power at any cost. For that reason, the
odds are stacked against democratic regimes on social media, in favor of oppressive,
sensationalist narratives – as we have repeatedly seen from oppressive states as
mentioned above.

Warrant: Social media contributes to increased oppression of women and children

Sulehria, Farooq. “Social media as oppression.” The News. 11 July

2018.https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/340108-social-media-as-oppression

Champion Briefs 173

Con Arguments June 2021

Threats of death and rape as well as sexual harassment in the form of cyber stalking or
manipulation of information are challenges that women face online. Women
journalists, activists, parliamentarians and sportswomen have been subjected to
online vilification and harassment campaigns. The targets of such campaigns have been
such powerful and globally recognised figures as Malala Yusufzai and Asma Jahangir. A
survey in 17 Pakistani universities shows that at least 34 percent women students
have experienced online harassment. There are countless other cases one can
document to show that social media has become yet another tool for women’s
oppression and child exploitation in Pakistan.

Impact: Social Media is becoming a tool of authoritarian regimes.

Bowles, Jerry. “Social media is a threat to freedom and democracy, human rights group
warns.” Diginomica. 8 Nov 2019. https://diginomica.com/social-media-threat-
freedom-and-democracy-human-rights-group-warns

Repressive governments and partisan peddlers of disinformation around the world are
leveraging the power of social media platforms to spy on and control their own
people, influence and shape the outcome of elections, block dissenting voices and
steadily erode internet freedom and privacy. That’s the bleak takeaway from a just-
released new report called Freedom on the Net 2019: The Crisis of Social
Media published by Freedom House, a bipartisan Washington-based pro-democracy
group. The authors mince no words in describing what is happening and who is to
blame: “Internet freedom is increasingly imperiled by the tools and tactics of digital
authoritarianism, which have spread rapidly around the globe. Repressive regimes,
elected incumbents with authoritarian ambitions, and unscrupulous partisan
operatives have exploited the unregulated spaces of social media platforms,
converting them into instruments for political distortion and societal control.”

Champion Briefs 174

Con Arguments June 2021

Impact: Political leaders use social media to control citizens

Shahbaz, Adrian; Funk, Allie. “The Pandemic's Digital Shadow.” Freedom House. 2021.
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2020/pandemics-digital-shadow

Three notable trends punctuated an especially dismal year for internet freedom. First,
political leaders used the pandemic as a pretext to limit access to
information. Authorities often blocked independent news sites and arrested
individuals on spurious charges of spreading false news. In many places, it was state
officials and their zealous supporters who actually disseminated false and misleading
information with the aim of drowning out accurate content, distracting the public
from ineffective policy responses, and scapegoating certain ethnic and religious
communities. Some states shut off connectivity for marginalized groups, extending
and deepening existing digital divides. In short, governments around the world failed
in their obligation to promote a vibrant and reliable online public sphere.

Analysis: Social media, once blocked by authoritarian regimes, has now become a tool of their
governments to control their citizens and maintain power. The oppression of free speech,
marginalized, communities, the spread of misinformation to maintain control, and the control
of information are all too easily disseminated through social media. Not only that, but the use
of social media to oppress women and children around the world only further undermines the
democratic value of freedom.

Champion Briefs 175

Con Arguments June 2021

CON: Social media undermines justice

Argument: Social media can bias juries.

Warrant: Fair Trials are the cornerstone of our democratic values

Chibundu, Maxwell. “The Jury Trial and Democratic Values”. Digital Commons, Maryland
Law. Bepress 2021.
https://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&https
redir=1&article=1074&context=schmooze_papers

In our contemporary culture, jury trial enjoys the kind of rarified reverence that only a
handful of other institutions can lay claim to. Although occasionally subjected to
criticism by contrarian scholars, the institution, whether in its grand or petit
manifestation, its civil or criminal incarnation, is applauded as an exemplar of the
virtues of democratic governance. Disagreement with outcomes in particular cases may
be occasionally voiced, but such disagreements only burnish the legitimating norms of
the institution. Charges of provincialism, lack of technical sophistication, or even
sociological bias that, if leveled at other institutions might doom them, are viewed
either as correctable minor flaws, or indeed as enhancing the popular grounding on
which the legitimacy of the jury system rests. Directly put, the jury process is viewed
and lauded as the application within the otherwise oligarchic judicial branch of those
values of democratic rule that underpin the legitimacy of representative governance.

Warrant: Public hostility toward a defendant can taint a jury.

Cornell Law School. “Fair Trial.” Legal Information Institute. 2021.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/amendment-14/section-1/fair-
trial

Champion Briefs 176

Con Arguments June 2021

Public hostility toward a defendant that intimidates a jury is, of course, a classic due
process violation. More recently, concern with the impact of prejudicial publicity upon
jurors and potential jurors has caused the Court to instruct trial courts that they
should be vigilant to guard against such prejudice and to curb both the publicity and
the jury’s exposure to it. For instance, the impact of televising trials on a jury has been
a source of some concern.

Impact: Pretrial media coverage impacts juror’s perceptions of defendents.

Bakhshay, Shirin & Haney, Craig. (2018). “The media's impact on the right to a fair trial:
A content analysis of pretrial publicity in capital cases.”Psychology, Public Policy,
and Law. 24. 326-340. 10.1037/law0000174.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326876349_The_media's_impact_on
_the_right_to_a_fair_trial_A_content_analysis_of_pretrial_publicity_in_capital_
cases

Research has shown that biased news coverage of crime can affect public opinion and
may influence the outcome of criminal cases. In specific cases, exposure to media
coverage has been shown to have a prejudicial impact on potential jurors' attitudes
toward criminal defendants (e.g., Daftary-Kapur et al., 2014; Moran & Cutler, 1991;
Ruva, McEvoy, & Bryant, 2007; Steblay, Besirevic, Fulero, & Jimenez-Lorente, 1999;
Studebaker & Penrod, 1997), including the perceived greater culpability and lessened
credibility of the defendant (e.g., Moran & Cutler, 1991; Steblay et al., 1999). In some
studies exposure to pretrial publicity has resulted in more guilty verdicts and harsher
sentences (e.g., Daftary-Kapur et al., 2014; Ruva et al., 2007; Ruva & Guenther, 2015).
Steblay et al. (1999) conducted a meta-analysis of studies on the effects of pretrial
publicity, finding that it has a “significant impact on juror decision making” (p. 231),

Champion Briefs 177

Con Arguments June 2021

and DaftaryKapur et al. (2014) have demonstrated that the greater the quantity of
exposure to pretrial publicity, the more biasing the effects. Concerns over the
potentially biasing effects of pretrial publicity are especially pronounced in death
penalty cases. Of course, the stakes in these kinds of cases could not be higher.
Moreover, because the profound life and death sentencing decision that capital jurors
alone are empowered to make is highly subjective and less inherently factual than the
guilt innocence verdicts jurors usually render, it is potentially more susceptible to bias
(Haney, 2006). The fact that death penalty cases generally involve the most severe
kinds of violent crimes also means that they tend to receive the most publicity
(Bandes, 2003). Such cases often lend themselves to sensationalistic and emotionally
charged publicity that portrays the capital defendants as “monsters” and “evil.” This is
exactly the kind of media coverage that furthers the “crime master narrative,” as
described above, which works to dehumanize criminal defendants and
decontextualize their actions, rendering them more “death-worthy” to jurors (Haney,
2008).

Impact: Social Media inhibits change of venues for fair trials with high media coverage.

Leslie Y. Garfield Tenzer, Social Media, Venue, and the Right to a Fair Trial, 71 Baylor L.
Rev. 420 (2019), https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/lawfaculty/1135/

Judicial failure to recognize social media's influence on juror decision making has
identifiable constitutional implications. The Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial
demands that courts grant a defendant's change of venue motion when media-
generated pretrial publicity invades the unbiased sensibility of those who are asked to
sit in judgment. Courts limit publicity suitable for granting a defendant's motion to
information culled from newspapers, radio, and television reports. Since about 2014,
however, a handful of defendants have introduced social media posts to support their
claims of unconstitutional bias in the community. Despite defendants' introduction of

Champion Briefs 178

Con Arguments June 2021

negative social media in support of their claims, these same courts have yet to include
social media in their evaluation of pretrial publicity bias. But social media is media,
and as this article demonstrates, trial court judges faced with deciding change of
venue motions have a constitutional obligation to include social media in their
evaluations.
The collective refusal to treat social media the same as biased television, radio, or
print media, suggests an erroneous assumption on the part of lower courts that social
media is somehow different. This article identifies three reasons as justification for
dismissing social media: social media is too recent a medium to fully understand and
analyze, social media is not a legitimate news source, and social media is opinion based.

Impact: Social Media jury communication leads to mistrials.

Mastro, Frank J. “Preventing the ‘Google Mistrial’: The Challenge Posed by Jurors Who
Use the Internet and Social Media.” Litigation, vol. 37, no. 2, 2011, pp. 23–
27. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23075495. Accessed 9 May 2021.

Following the conviction of the mayor of Baltimore on an embezzlement charge, her

lawyers moved for a new trial after learning that five jurors communicated among
them selves during trial through Facebook. The jurors became "friends" on Facebook
and engaged in online conversations throughout the trial. Some posts, such as "Hi
James! Ready for round ... oh I lost count! See you tomorrow," seemed innocuous, but
others appeared less so. A non-juror named "Al" added the comment "not guilty" to
an online conver sation on one juror's Facebook page at a time when the jury had not
yet reached a verdict. The juror later responded, "NO AL GUILTY AS HELL ... SORRY."
The trial judge ordered the five jurors, who became known locally as the "Facebook
Five," to appear in court as witnesses at an evi dentiary hearing. Prior to the hearing,
however, the mayor entered into a plea bargain with prosecutors, and the motion for a
new trial was dropped. State v. Dixon, No. 109210015 (Baltimore City (Md.) Cir. Ct.

Champion Briefs 179

Con Arguments June 2021

2009). Juror communication through social media is not a phenomenon limited to the
United States. In Lancashire, England, a woman was dismissed from a criminal jury
after a court official received an anonymous tip that the juror had posted details of
the child abduction and sexual assault case on Facebook and invited her friends to
help her decide the guilt or innocence of the accused. "I don't know which way to go,
so I'm holding a poll,” she wrote.

Impact: Trial by Social Media makes a fair trial near impossible.

Vitelli Ph.D., Romeo .”How "Trial by Media" Can Undermine the Courtroom: New
research explores how media bias impacts the right to a fair trial.”Psychology
Today. August 22, 2018. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/media-
spotlight/201808/how-trial-media-can-undermine-the-courtroom

But despite being initially hailed as a hero, Richard Jewell found himself being
subjected to "trial by media" after the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that he
was a "person of interest" in the bombing. While the FBI investigation went nowhere,
Jewell continued to be roasted by the media and even became the butt of repeated
jokes by comedians such as Jay Leno who referred to him as the "Una-doofus." Jewell
was eventually vindicated—and he later sued numerous news agencies for their biased
coverage (most of these cases were settled for unspecified amounts). While cases of
"trial by media" are hardly uncommon, especially after high-profile crimes, the long-
term damage resulting from this kind of publicity is often impossible to measure. But
how does this kind of media exposure affect the outcome of criminal trials? Even
though the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution , along with similar laws around
the world, is meant to guarantee the right of all defendants to a "fair and impartial
jury," ensuring this isn't always possible. Not only are jurors expected to base their
decision solely on the evidence presented at trial, but the principle of impartiality
means that they cannot have any prior opinions about the case they're deciding,

Champion Briefs 180

Con Arguments June 2021

including whether or not the defendant is guilty. But, as previous research has
demonstrated, news stories about recent crimes are typically skewed and one-sided,
often assuming that the defendant is already guilty. To make matters worse, these
stories frequently include prejudicial information that is rarely allowed during the
actual criminal trial. This kind of evidence can include the accused's past criminal
history (whether or not it's relevant to the case), sensationalized descriptions of
the crime, and inflammatory statements by arresting officers or prosecutors. Add in
the often emotional interviews with relatives of the deceased—most of whom openly
state their belief that the accused is guilty—and it can seem like virtually everyone
with an interest in the case has their minds made up before the jury is even selected.
Analysis: Impartial Jury Trials are a vital part of democratic values. Media pretrial coverage has
expanded to social media reaching billions world wide, tainting jury pools with possible
misinformation, inadmissible evidence, and a plethora of various opinions. Not only that, but
social media use by jurors before, during, and after a trial can influence a juror’s decision
against a defendant leading to harsher verdicts and sentencing. This extends beyond event
trials to every day citizens being tried in the court of public opinion and impacting their very
lives, making social media a detriment to our democratic values.

Champion Briefs 181

Con Arguments June 2021

CON: Social Media Reduces Constructive Dialogue

Argument: Social media is designed for surface-level, spur of the moment interactions. This
trades off with more meaningful dialogues.

Warrant: Social media alters our opportunity to communicate

Stacey Hankey. “How Social Media Affects Our Ability to Communicate” Thrive Global.
2019. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-social-media-affects-our-ability-to-
communicate/

“What method of communication allows you to learn more about another person: a
post on Facebook or a face-to-face conversation? We connect on a deeper, more
meaningful level when we converse with others personally, yet studies show an
increased dependency on social media. Why? Social media is a convenient way of
communicating, but it lessens the quality of the connection. Almost two-thirds of U.S.
adults admit they use social media to connect. Its rise to prominence changes our
ability to interact with others on a meaningful level. Our social skills are challenged to
the point that many now struggle to interact in traditional conversations. Before social
media, the ways in which we connected and how many people we reached were
limited. We depended on phone calls and face-to-face interactions to strengthen
relationships. On the upside, the latest technology provides endless ways to connect.
We can also reach more people than ever. The downside is the way we communicate
has also changed, challenging our ability to make meaningful connections.”

Warrant: Social media use increases the rate of anxiety

Champion Briefs 182

Con Arguments June 2021

Stacey Hankey. “How Social Media Affects Our Ability to Communicate” Thrive Global.
2019. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-social-media-affects-our-ability-to-
communicate/

“One survey revealed that 74 percent of Millennials prefer conversing digitally rather
than in person. While this helps them communicate more efficiently, it diminishes
their communication effectiveness. The more people use digital communication, the
more interpersonal communication skills decline. Our need for rapid bits of
information replaces our ability to clearly express thoughts and ideas when speaking to
others. Consider how often you check your phone and social media updates. Our “fear
of missing out” has created bad habits that have rewired how we interact with each
other. This forces us to process more quickly and to crave more digital input. The more
we get, the more we require to feel satisfied.”

Warrant: Social media decreases the quality of communications

Stacey Hankey. “How Social Media Affects Our Ability to Communicate” Thrive Global.
2019. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-social-media-affects-our-ability-to-
communicate/

“From Twitter to text messaging, comments are limited to short one- or two-sentence
answers. While it’s helped us make messages brief and clear, it’s done so at the expense
of quality communication. Poor grammar is now commonplace, while abbreviations and
acronyms have become commonplace. People have become addicted to their devices. A
distressing 62 percent of people studied admit to using digital gadgets while with
others. They most likely have no clue that the quality of conversation and their ability to
meaningfully engage is affected. One study evaluated how mobile devices affect the
quality of face-to-face social interactions. Results found that conversations without
digital devices were far superior to those conducted while devices were present. It

Champion Briefs 183

Con Arguments June 2021

also discovered that people in device-free conversations were better listeners and
more empathetic to those speaking. Another study revealed that the presence of
devices affected closeness, conversation quality and connection, especially when
more meaningful topics were being discussed.”

Warrant: Social media dialogue causes anxiety

Jessica Brown. “Is social media bad for you? The evidence and the unknowns.” BBC.
2018. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180104-is-social-media-bad-for-
you-the-evidence-and-the-unknowns

“People use social media to vent about everything from customer service to politics, but
the downside to this is that our feeds often resemble an endless stream of stress. In
2015, researchers at the Pew Research Center based in Washington DC sought to find
out if social media induces more stress than it relieves. In the survey of 1,800 people,
women reported being more stressed than men. Twitter was found to be a “significant
contributor” because it increased their awareness of other people’s stress.”

Warrant: Social media can cause addiction, trading off with other forms of discussion

Jessica Brown. “Is social media bad for you? The evidence and the unknowns.” BBC.
2018. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180104-is-social-media-bad-for-
you-the-evidence-and-the-unknowns

“Despite the argument from a few researchers that tweeting may be harder to resist
than cigarettes and alcohol, social media addiction isn’t included in the latest diagnostic
manual for mental health disorders. That said, social media is changing faster than
scientists can keep up with, so various groups are trying to study compulsive behaviours
related to its use – for example, scientists from the Netherlands have invented their

Champion Briefs 184

Con Arguments June 2021

own scale to identify possible addiction. And if social media addiction does exist, it
would be a type of internet addiction – and that is a classified disorder. In 2011, Daria
Kuss and Mark Griffiths from Nottingham Trent University in the UK have analysed 43
previous studies on the matter, and conclude that social media addiction is a mental
health problem that “may” require professional treatment. They found that excessive
usage was linked to relationship problems, worse academic achievement and less
participation in offline communities, and found that those who could be more
vulnerable to a social media addiction include those dependent on alcohol, the highly
extroverted, and those who use social media to compensate for fewer ties in real life.”

Analysis: The ability to have healthy, productive discussion is a cornerstone of democracy.

Make the case to the judge that this is in many ways a prerequisite to other rights and
democratic ideals such as voting.

Champion Briefs 185

Con Arguments June 2021

CON: Social Media Allows for Surveillance

Argument: Social media is bad for democracy because it allows companies and government to
track people.

Warrant: Social media enables a broad range of surveilence

Allie Funk. “Freedom on the Net 2019 Key Finding: Governments harness big data for
social media surveillance” Freedom House. 2020.
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-on-the-net/2019/the-crisis-of-social-
media/social-media-
surveillance#:~:text=Social%20media%20surveillance%20refers%20to,amounts%
20of%20metadata%20and%20content.

“Social media surveillance refers to the collection and processing of personal data
pulled from digital communication platforms, often through automated technology
that allows for real-time aggregation, organization, and analysis of large amounts of
metadata and content. Broader in scope than spyware, which intercepts
communications by targeting specific individuals’ devices, social media surveillance
cannot be dismissed as less invasive. Billions of people around the world use these
digital platforms to communicate with loved ones, connect with friends and associates,
and express their political, social, and religious beliefs. Even when it concerns individuals
who seldom interact with such services, the information that is collected, generated,
and inferred about them holds tremendous value not only for advertisers, but
increasingly for law enforcement and intelligence agencies as well.”

Warrant: Governments use advanced technology to enable spying

Champion Briefs 186

Con Arguments June 2021

Allie Funk. “Freedom on the Net 2019 Key Finding: Governments harness big data for
social media surveillance” Freedom House. 2020.
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-on-the-net/2019/the-crisis-of-social-
media/social-media-
surveillance#:~:text=Social%20media%20surveillance%20refers%20to,amounts%
20of%20metadata%20and%20content.

“Governments have long employed people to monitor speech on social media,

including by creating fraudulent accounts to connect with real-life users and gain
access to networks. Authorities in Iran have boasted of a 42,000-strong army of
volunteers who monitor online speech. Any citizen can report for duty on the Cyber
Police (FATA) website. Similarly, the ruling Communist Party in China has recruited
thousands of individuals to sift through the internet and report problematic content
and accounts to authorities. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have opened up new
possibilities for automated mass surveillance. Sophisticated monitoring systems can
quickly map users’ relationships through link analysis; assign a meaning or attitude to
their social media posts using natural-language processing and sentiment analysis; and
infer their past, present, or future locations. Machine learning enables these systems to
find patterns that may be invisible to humans, while deep neural networks can identify
and suggest whole new categories of patterns for further investigation.”

Warrant: Surveillance is expanding fast

Allie Funk. “Freedom on the Net 2019 Key Finding: Governments harness big data for
social media surveillance” Freedom House. 2020.
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-on-the-net/2019/the-crisis-of-social-
media/social-media-
surveillance#:~:text=Social%20media%20surveillance%20refers%20to,amounts%
20of%20metadata%20and%20content.

Champion Briefs 187

Con Arguments June 2021

“The market for social media surveillance has grown, giving intelligence and law
enforcement agencies new tools for combing through massive amounts of
information. At least 40 of the 65 countries covered by this report have instituted
advanced social media monitoring programs. Moreover, their use by governments is
accelerating: in 15 of these countries, it was only in the past year that such programs
were either expanded or newly established. Justifying their efforts in the name of
enhancing security, limiting disinformation, and ensuring public order, governments
have effectively co-opted social media platforms. While these platforms typically
present themselves as social connectors and community builders, state agencies in
repressive countries see them as vast storehouses of speech and personal information
that can be observed, collected, and analyzed to detect and suppress dissent.”

Warrant: Most social media users are being monitored

Zak Doffman, “Your Social Media Is (Probably) Being Watched Right Now, Says New
Surveillance Report.” Forbes. 2021.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2019/11/06/new-government-spy-
report-your-social-media-is-probably-being-watched-right-
now/?sh=475cf7764f99

“The Cambridge Analytica scandal may have exposed the raw truth about data security
and manipulation on social media, but the issue is rooted in the platforms—the
potential for deriving intelligence from otherwise innocuous data. Many of the tools are
new, leveraging AI and pattern analytics to map relationships between people
“through link analysis,” to use natural language processing to “assign meaning or
attitude to social media posts,” and to mine data for information about “past, present,
or future locations.” And so are you really being watched? Probably. The report claims
that 89% of the world’s internet users are being actively monitored—around 3 billion

Champion Briefs 188

Con Arguments June 2021

people. As you’d expect when it comes to mass population monitoring and the use of
technology to advance population control, China leads the way. But of the 65 countries
covered in the report, there are another 39 in addition to China which “have instituted
advanced social media surveillance programs.””

Warrant: The US and China both have advanced surveillance capabilities

Zak Doffman, “Your Social Media Is (Probably) Being Watched Right Now, Says New
Surveillance Report.” Forbes. 2021.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2019/11/06/new-government-spy-
report-your-social-media-is-probably-being-watched-right-
now/?sh=475cf7764f99

“In China, the report says, quasi-commercial organizations have built platforms that
now monitor hundreds of millions of citizens. Some of that we know because the
security controls are often so loose around those data repositories that we have seen
a number of breaches. But it isn’t just China. In the U.S., data mining tools have been
developed, often seeded with government venture funding, and then acquired to fuel
investigations into serious crime. But, the report warns, “law enforcement and other
agencies at the local, state, and federal levels are increasingly repurposing them for
more questionable practices, such as screening travelers for their political views,
tracking students’ behavior, or monitoring activists and protesters.”

Analysis: Surveillance is antithetical to democracy because it breaches our right to privacy. Use
this point to make the case that social media is incompatible with a free society.

Champion Briefs 189

Con Arguments June 2021

CON: Social Media Boosts Fake News

Argument: Social media is bad for democracy because propagates fake news which can be
destructive to democracy.

Warrant: Social media accelerates destructive ideas

FILIPPO MENCZER. “Information Overload Helps Fake News Spread, and Social Media
Knows It” Scientific American. 2020.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/information-overload-helps-fake-
news-spread-and-social-media-knows-it/#sa_body

“Making matters worse, search engines and social media platforms provide
personalized recommendations based on the vast amounts of data they have about
users' past preferences. They prioritize information in our feeds that we are most
likely to agree with—no matter how fringe—and shield us from information that
might change our minds. This makes us easy targets for polarization. Nir Grinberg and
his co-workers at Northeastern University recently showed that conservatives in the U.S.
are more receptive to misinformation. But our own analysis of consumption of low-
quality information on Twitter shows that the vulnerability applies to both sides of the
political spectrum, and no one can fully avoid it.”

Warrant: Social media propagates conformity

FILIPPO MENCZER. “Information Overload Helps Fake News Spread, and Social Media
Knows It” Scientific American. 2020.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/information-overload-helps-fake-
news-spread-and-social-media-knows-it/#sa_body

Champion Briefs 190

Con Arguments June 2021

“Such social conformity is pervasive. In a fascinating 2006 study involving 14,000 Web-
based volunteers, Matthew Salganik, then at Columbia University, and his colleagues
found that when people can see what music others are downloading, they end up
downloading similar songs. Moreover, when people were isolated into “social”
groups, in which they could see the preferences of others in their circle but had no
information about outsiders, the choices of individual groups rapidly diverged. But the
preferences of “nonsocial” groups, where no one knew about others' choices, stayed
relatively stable. In other words, social groups create a pressure toward conformity so
powerful that it can overcome individual preferences, and by amplifying random early
differences, it can cause segregated groups to diverge to extremes.”

Warrant: Social media tricks people into believing low quality information

FILIPPO MENCZER. “Information Overload Helps Fake News Spread, and Social Media
Knows It” Scientific American. 2020.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/information-overload-helps-fake-
news-spread-and-social-media-knows-it/#sa_body

“. We confuse popularity with quality and end up copying the behavior we observe.
Experiments on Twitter by Bjarke Mønsted and his colleagues at the Technical
University of Denmark and the University of Southern California indicate that
information is transmitted via “complex contagion”: when we are repeatedly exposed
to an idea, typically from many sources, we are more likely to adopt and reshare it.
This social bias is further amplified by what psychologists call the “mere exposure”
effect: when people are repeatedly exposed to the same stimuli, such as certain faces,
they grow to like those stimuli more than those they have encountered less often..”

Warrant: False rumors spread faster than true information

Champion Briefs 191

Con Arguments June 2021

Sara Brown “MIT Sloan research about social media, misinformation, and elections.”
MIT Sloan. 2021. https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/mit-sloan-
research-about-social-media-misinformation-and-elections

“False rumors spread faster and wider than true information, according to a 2019
study published in Science by MIT Sloan professor Sinan Aral and Deb Roy and
Soroush Vosoughi of the MIT Media Lab. They found falsehoods are 70% more likely
to be retweeted on Twitter than the truth, and reach their first 1,500 people six times
faster. This effect is more pronounced with political news than other categories. Bots
spread true and false information at the same rates, the researchers found, so people
are the ones hitting retweet on false information. One potential reason: the novelty
hypothesis, which found that people are drawn to information that is novel and
unusual, as false news often is. (Not that bots don’t play a role in spreading
misinformation — in fact, they can easily manipulate people’s opinions.)”

Warrant: Misinformation can be directly destructive to democracy

Sara Brown “MIT Sloan research about social media, misinformation, and elections.”
MIT Sloan. 2021. https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/mit-sloan-
research-about-social-media-misinformation-and-elections

“Some misinformation comes from politicians — and it might help them get votes.
Under certain circumstances, people appreciate a candidate who tells obvious lies,
even seeing that candidate as more “authentic,” according to research co-authored by
Ezra Zuckerman Sivan, an associate dean and professor at MIT Sloan. A norm-breaking
candidate who tells lies appeals to aggrieved constituencies because those voters see
norms as illegitimately imposed by the establishment. The paper was co-authored by
Minjae Kim, PhD '18 and assistant professor at Rice University, and Oliver Hahl, PhD
'13 and and assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon. Attaching warnings to social media

Champion Briefs 192

Con Arguments June 2021

posts that feature information disputed by fact-checkers can backfire. A study by Rand
and his co-authors outlined a potential downfall to labeling misinformation online: the
“implied truth effect,” where people assume all information without a label is true. As a
result, false headlines that fail to get tagged, or aren’t tagged quickly, could be taken as
truth. Attaching verifications to some true headlines could be a possible fix.”

Analysis: Social media spreads fake news. Make the case that fake news can have election-
swinging outcomes, a deathblow for democracy.

Champion Briefs 193

Con Arguments June 2021

CON: Social Media Creates Echo Chambers

Argument: Social media is bad for democracy because it silos conversations into echo chambers
and makes people unwilling to engage with one another.

Warrant: Social media puts people into ideological silos

Thi Nguyen. “The problem of living in echo chambers” The Conversation. 2020.
https://theconversation.com/the-problem-of-living-inside-echo-chambers-
110486

“An epistemic bubble is what happens when insiders aren’t exposed to people from the
opposite side. An echo chamber is what happens when insiders come to distrust
everybody on the outside. An epistemic bubble, for example, might form on one’s social
media feed. When a person gets all their news and political arguments from Facebook
and all their Facebook friends share their political views, they’re in an epistemic
bubble. They hear arguments and evidence only from their side of the political
spectrum. They’re never exposed to the other side’s views. An echo chamber leads its
members to distrust everybody on the outside of that chamber. And that means that an
insider’s trust for other insiders can grow unchecked..”

Warrant: Bubbles create echo chambers

Thi Nguyen. “The problem of living in echo chambers” The Conversation. 2020.
https://theconversation.com/the-problem-of-living-inside-echo-chambers-
110486

“Two communications scholars, Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Joseph Cappella, offered
a careful analysis of the right-wing media echo chamber in their 2008 book, “The Echo

Champion Briefs 194

Con Arguments June 2021

Chamber.” Rush Limbaugh and the Fox News team, they said, systematically
manipulated whom their followers trusted. Limbaugh presented the world as a simple
binary – as a struggle only between good and evil. People were trustworthy if they
were on Limbaugh’s side. Anybody on the outside was malicious and untrustworthy. In
that way, an echo chamber is a lot like a cult. Echo chambers isolate their members, not
by cutting off their lines of communication to the world, but by changing whom they
trust. And echo chambers aren’t just on the right. I’ve seen echo chambers on the left,
but also on parenting forums, nutritional forums and even around exercise methods.”

Warrant: Social media algorithms beget ideological bubbles

Thi Nguyen. “The problem of living in echo chambers” The Conversation. 2020.
https://theconversation.com/the-problem-of-living-inside-echo-chambers-
110486

“Many people get their news from social media feeds. Their feeds get filled up with
people like them - who usually share their political views. Eli Pariser, online activist
and chief executive of Upworthy, spotlights how the invisible algorithms behind
people’s internet experience limit what they see. For example, says Pariser, Google
keeps track of its user’s choices and preferences, and changes its search results to suit
them. It tries to give individuals what they want – so liberal users, for example, tend
to get search results that point them toward liberal news sites. If the problem is
bubbles, then the solution would be exposure. For Sunstein, the solution is to build
more public forums, where people will run into the other side more often.”

Warrant: Social media creates a feedback loop of ever-increasing echo chambers

“The Reason Your Feed Became An Echo Chamber — And What To Do About It.”
National Public Radio. 2021.

Champion Briefs 195

Con Arguments June 2021

npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/07/24/486941582/the-reason-your-
feed-became-an-echo-chamber-and-what-to-do-about-it

“At the outset, the Internet was expected to be an open, democratic source of
information. But algorithms, like the kind used by Facebook, instead often steer us
toward articles that reflect our own ideological preferences, and search results usually
echo what we already know and like. As a result, we aren't exposed to other ideas and
viewpoints, says Eli Pariser, CEO of Upworthy, a liberal news website. Pariser tells
NPR's Elise Hu that as websites get to know our interests better, they also get better
at serving up the content that reinforces those interests, while also filtering out those
things we generally don't like.”

Warrant: Activists continue to learn new tactics with social media

“The Reason Your Feed Became An Echo Chamber — And What To Do About It.”
National Public Radio. 2021.
npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/07/24/486941582/the-reason-your-
feed-became-an-echo-chamber-and-what-to-do-about-it

“"What most algorithms are trying to do is to increase engagement, increase the

amount of attention you're spending on that platform," he says. And while it's a nice
that we have an instrument to help us cope with the fire hose of information supplied
by the Internet, that algorithm also carries some downsides. "The danger is that
increasingly you end up not seeing what people who think differently see and in fact not
even knowing that it exists." It's what Pariser calls a "filter bubble." And it's something
he tried to break out of himself, chronicling that experience in the book The Filter
Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You. The results were, well, mixed. "I was
medium successful," Pariser says. "It's hard, and that's partly because we know the

Champion Briefs 196

Con Arguments June 2021

people that we know, and those tend to be slanted in one ideological direction or
another so you have to really work to find people who think differently."”

Analysis: Social media puts citizens into ideological bubbles based on their predispositions
which create harmful echo chambers and stifle intellectual creativity. This is a core democratic
value which should distress us to lose.

Champion Briefs 197

Con Arguments June 2021

CON: Social Media increases aggression and violence in youth

Argument: Social Media is disproportionately increasing violence among children and teens.

Warrant: Gangs use social media to perpetuate violence

Marsh, Sarah. “Social media related to violence by young people, say experts.” The
Guardian.2 Apr 2018 .https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/apr/02/social-
media-violence-young-people-gangs-say-experts

Dr Simon Harding, a senior lecturer in criminology at Middlesex University, said: “We

started noticing gangs using social media four years ago and since then [the numbers
using it] have doubled every year … it’s hard to quantify that because there are no
statistics or research, but every street gang I am familiar with now has an online
presence,” he said. “Young people are completely immersed in this world … so it is a
logical progression that gang activity takes place online.” Debi Thomas, the project
coordinator for the Catch22 Social Justice and Rehabilitation Dawes Unit in
Wolverhampton, said that her role increasingly involved having discussions about social
media. “We have started to focus on it more over the years and it is a case of talking to
young people about it and warning about the dangers. It is also about looking at the
preventative side of things and going into schools and providing sessions about social
media. If we are talking to high risk and high criminality young people then we will
discuss alternatives to them calling each other out online.”Harding noted that a lot of
gangs had websites and fan followings online. He expressed concern about young
people being groomed and inadvertently drawn into violent activities after making
contact with gangs over social media. Harding said gangs used social media differently
depending on their aims but popular platforms included YouTube and Snapchat.

Warrant: Human Trafficking through social media is on the rise.

Champion Briefs 198

Con Arguments June 2021

Human Rights Committee. “Social media-based trafficking on the rise during coronavirus
pandemic’. United Nations. 11 Nov 2020.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/11/1077402

Insisting that the coronavirus pandemic had made matters worse for victims, the
Geneva-based committee said that countries had seen a global rise in “trafficking in
cyberspace” in recent months. Online, demand has been channelled “through social
media, dark web and messaging platforms” which provide easy access to potential
victims, but hide the identity of the perpetrators, the committee said. The panel of
UN-appointed independent rights experts also warned against the increased
recruitment of vulnerable people by traffickers for online sexual exploitation, along
with “an increased demand for child sexual abuse material and technology-facilitated
child sex trafficking”.

Impact: Social Media heightens real world violence

Elsaesser, Caitlin. “How social media turns online arguments between teens into real-
world violence”. The Conversation. 5 April 2021.
https://theconversation.com/how-social-media-turns-online-arguments-
between-teens-into-real-world-violence-155613

The deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January exposed the power of social
media to influence real-world behavior and incite violence. But many adolescents, who
spend more time on social media than all other age groups, have known this for years.
“On social media, when you argue, something so small can turn into something so big
so fast,” said Justin, a 17-year-old living in Hartford, Connecticut, during one of my
research focus groups. (The participants’ names have been changed in this article to
protect their identities.) For the last three years, I have studied how and why social

Champion Briefs 199

Con Arguments June 2021

media triggers and accelerates offline violence. In my research, conducted in

partnership with Hartford-based peace initiative COMPASS Youth Collaborative, we
interviewed dozens of young people aged 12-19 in 2018. Their responses made clear
that social media is not a neutral communication platform. In other words, social
media isn’t just mirroring conflicts happening in schools and on streets – it’s
intensifying and triggering new conflicts. And for young people who live in
disenfranchised urban neighborhoods, where firearms can be readily available, this
dynamic can be deadly.

Impact: Majority of teens experience cyberbullying; particularly girls.

Anderson, Monica. “A Majority of Teens Have Experienced Some Form of

Cyberbullying.” Pew Research. 27 Sept 2018.
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/09/27/a-majority-of-teens-have-
experienced-some-form-of-cyberbullying/

Overall, 60% of girls and 59% of boys have experienced at least one of six abusive
online behaviors. While similar shares of boys and girls have encountered abuse, such
as name-calling or physical threats online, other forms of cyberbullying are more
prevalent among girls. Some 39% of girls say someone has spread false rumors about
them online, compared with 26% of boys who say this. Girls also are more likely than
boys to report being the recipient of explicit images they did not ask for (29% vs. 20%).
And being the target of these types of messages is an especially common experience for
older girls: 35% of girls ages 15 to 17 say they have received unwanted explicit images,
compared with about one-in-five boys in this age range and younger teens of both
genders. Online harassment does not necessarily begin and end with one specific
behavior, and 40% of teens have experienced two or more of these actions. Girls are
more likely than boys to have experienced several different forms of online bullying,

Champion Briefs 200

Con Arguments June 2021

however. Some 15% of teen girls have been the target of at least four of these online
behaviors, compared with 6% of boys.

Impact: On Facebook alone, 300 children trafficked without notice.

Reiner, Anne. “‘The hidden problem’: Social media’s role in human trafficking and sexual
exploitation”. NorthCentral PA. 25 Jan
2021. https://www.northcentralpa.com/features/the-hidden-problem-social-
media-s-role-in-human-trafficking-and-sexual-exploitation/article_ae2f220a-
5f40-11eb-a341-8b960e8ce5b0.html

A 2020 study by the Tech Transparency Project showed that between January 2013
and December 2019 over 300 cases of child exploitation went unnoticed by Facebook.
Despite claiming to have strict policies on distributing exploitative content, the social
media mammoth only identified a small percentage of the cases to the U.S.
Department of Justice. The other 366 cases were reported to the DOJ by individual
users or other data-gathering methods. The report goes on to show that the child
exploitation cases include distributing images of sexual abuse, recruiting children and
sex trafficking.

Analysis: It is clear that social media allows, perpetuates, and facilitates violence in various
forms. Not only that, but despite their policies to protect children, they continue to show that
they are unable to do so. Between mass genocide, bullycide, and the increased tendencies to
aggression and violence in our youth in using social media, Social media’s violation of human
rights cannot claim any benefit to democratic values.

Champion Briefs 201

Con Arguments June 2021

CON: Social Media contributes to teen depression and anxiety

Argument: Social Media has a significant impact on mental health, especially for teens

Warrant: Youth are at higher risk for mental health problems due to social media.
.
Nesi, Jacqueline. “The Impact of Social Media on Youth Mental Health: Challenges and
Opportunities.” North Carolina Medical Journal. March 2020.
DOI:https://doi.org/10.18043/ncm.81.2.116

Adolescents' peer experiences play a critical role in the onset and maintenance of
psychopathology. Within the social media environment, peer interactions can occur
with increased frequency, immediacy, and intensity. Specific online peer experiences
have been identified in prior work as potential risk factors for mental health concerns.
Cybervictimization, or the experience of being a victim of bullying by peers online, has
been consistently found to be associated with higher rates of self-harm and suicidal
behavior, as well as internalizing and externalizing problems. Other types of social
media peer experiences, such as social exclusion and online conflict or drama, also
may put youth at risk. Peer influence processes may also be heightened online, where
youth may access a wide range of their peers in addition to potentially risky content.
Youth who are exposed to social media content depicting risky behaviors (ie, alcohol
and other substance use) may be more likely to engage in these behaviors themselves.
Content related to suicide and self-injury may also be readily available online,
potentially increasing suicide risk among youth who are already vulnerable. In a
recent study of over 400 youth who were psychiatrically hospitalized due to risk of
harm to self or others, a small but meaningful proportion of youth reported viewing
online content that promoted suicide (14.8%) or self-injury (16.6%) during the two
weeks prior to their admission.

Champion Briefs 202

Con Arguments June 2021

Warrant: Social Media use increases rates of suicide in youth.

Gramigna, MA, Joe. “Social media use may play important role in youth suicide, expert
says”. 5 October 2020. Healio.
https://www.healio.com/news/psychiatry/20201005/social-media-use-may-
play-important-role-in-youth-suicide-expert-says

Rising suicide rates in these demographic groups have coincided with rising rates of
social media use. “A study published in 2015 found that the threshold for where kids
start to have more mental health problems is the 2-hour mark,” Zelazny said during
the presentation. “Teens who reported using social media sites more than 2 hours a
day were much more likely to report poor mental health outcomes like distress and
suicidal ideation. A study done the following year found that problematic internet use
resulted in poor mental health outcomes longitudinally, and these were mediated by
poor sleep.”

Warrant: Social Media impacts mental health especially in teen girls.

Hurst, Jeffrey L.; et all. “10-year study shows elevated suicide risk from excess social
media time for teen girls.” Byu.edu. 9-Feb-2021.
https://www.newswise.com/articles/10-year-study-shows-elevated-suicide-risk-
from-excess-social-media-time-for-teen-girls

In the longest study to date on social media use and suicidality, BYU research recently
published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence now offers some answers. Through
annual surveys from 2009 to 2019, researchers tracked the media use patterns and
mental health of 500 teens as part of the Flourishing Families Project. They found that
while social media use had little effect on boys' suicidality risk, for girls there was a
tipping point. Girls who used social media for at least two to three hours per day at the
beginning of the study--when they were about 13 years old--and then greatly increased

Champion Briefs 203

Con Arguments June 2021

their use over time were at a higher clinical risk for suicide as emerging adults.
"Something about that specific social media use pattern is particularly harmful for
young girls," said BYU professor Sarah Coyne, the lead author of the study. She noted
that girls' social tendencies likely make them more susceptible to the negative effects of
social media.

Warrant: Mental health has a profound economic impact on everyone.

McDaid, David, et all. “The Economic Case for the Prevention of Mental Illness’. Annual
Review of Public Health. 2019.
https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040617-
013629

Poor mental health also has profound economic consequences. In 2013, mental
disorders were the leading element in health care spending in the United States, some
$201 billion, as compared with $147 billion for another major area of expenditure, heart
conditions. A prime reason for this difference was the much greater levels of spending
on long-stay institutions (nursing homes, psychiatric institutions, and prisons), as well as
on mental health support for those on active military duty. In total, 40% of all mental
health–related spending was on these forms of care. Excluding dementia, total costs of
mental illness were still $163 billion.These health system costs represent still only a
minority of the total adverse impacts of poor mental health. Poor mental health also
increases the risks of additional physical morbidities, such as diabetes, and premature
mortality. Notwithstanding these additional health system costs, most of the costs to
society from poor mental health fall beyond health care systems (72, 74). Many of
these costs arise from reductions in contributions to national economic output, mainly
through curtailed participation in employment, as well as lower levels of volunteering
and informal caring. Society also incurs additional spillover effects, such as increased

Champion Briefs 204

Con Arguments June 2021

strains placed on police and the criminal justice system, and family members
experience physical and mental health impacts.

Analysis: Mental health is a vital part of enabling the democratic value of “Life, liberty, and
puruit of happiness.” While not responsible for mental illness itself, social media exacerbates
the illnesses and is a detriment to those individuals, their families, and society itself. Social
media also is more detrimental to girls, putting an already vulnerable population at risk and
diminishing their ability to thrive and succeed in life. Social media cannot be beneficial to our
democratic values when its content is filled with unrealistic and harmful posts that reach
millions, before stopped, if it ever is. The impacts of this go far beyond the mental to the
physical, economical, and societal costs impairing the ability to fully realize our inalienable
rights.

Champion Briefs 205

Con Arguments June 2021

CON: Social media is used to silence dissent

Response: Social media’s use to oppress does not benefit democratic values.

Warrant: Authoritarian regimes use social media for regime stabilization.

Gunitsky, Seva. “Corrupting the Cyber-Commons: Social Media as a Tool of Autocratic

Stability.” Perspectives on Politics, vol. 13, no. 1, 2015, pp. 42–54.,
doi:10.1017/S1537592714003120

Focusing only on the effects of censorship, however, ignores an insidious recent trend—
the shift from social media suppression to social media co-option. Over the past few
years, elites in autocratic and hybrid regimes have increasingly begun to subvert social
media for their own purposes and employing it as a tool of regime stability. As a result,
social media is being transformed from an engine of protest to another potential
mechanism of regime resilience.
Namely, social media has enabled non-democratic incumbents to safely gather
previously hidden or falsified information about public grievances, to increase the
transparency of the performance of local officials, to bolster regime legitimacy by
shaping public discourse, and to enhance the mobilization of their support base. As a
result, autocrats have begun to move beyond strategies of “negative control” of the
internet, in which regimes attempt to block, censor, and suppress the flow of
communication, and toward strategies of proactive co-optation in which social media
serves certain regime functions. The opposite of internet freedom, therefore, is not
necessarily internet censorship but a deceptive blend of control, co-option, and
manipulation.

Warrant: Social Media is used to oppress opposition

Champion Briefs 206

Con Arguments June 2021

Moyo, Jeffrey. “Zimbabwean regime shifts oppression to social media: Oppression goes
online as government terrorizes social media activists”. Andoulu Agency. 16 Feb
2021. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/zimbabwean-regime-shifts-oppression-
to-social-media/2146273

As Mnangagwa takes to social media modifying his art of suppression, he is

"determined to close the remaining little democratic space and eliminate every single
voice of dissent," according to Obey Sithole, the opposition MDC Alliance Youth
Assemble chairperson. "From thwarting protests with a heavy hand, they have now
criminalized freedom of expression as evidenced by heckling and arrests of citizens
based on sentiments shared on social media," Sithole told Anadolu Agency. Dewa
Mavhinga, Southern Africa director with the Africa Division at Human Rights Watch,
said, "the Zimbabwe government seems scared of freedom of expression and has
cracked down on social media to silence critics through the use of dubious or non-
existent laws to arrest and prosecute activists."

Warrant: Regimes use social media to oppress citizens.

Mersereau, Amy. “Social Media: Tool for Oppression and Resistance amongst China’s
Uyghurs”. Stand Canada. March 11, 2021. https://www.standcanada.org/social-
media-tool-for-oppression-and-resistance-amongst-chinas-uyghurs/

Social media has created an opportunity for the state to track and predict user
movements in China. No other time in history has permitted a state to use facial
recognition software so easily, to track user movements through mobile chips, and to
track patterns of speech or language. Social media users create data that aids the
government in predicting future behaviours or preferences. For China and the
Uyghurs, this has provided the government open access to surveil citizens. In 2009,
Uyghur youth used Facebook to coordinate protests in objection to the mass killing of

Champion Briefs 207

Con Arguments June 2021

Uyghur workers at a factory in Eastern China. Shortly afterwards, hundreds of Uyghur

youths were detained by police and went missing. Subsequently, internet access was
limited in Eastern China for over 10 months. The entire country was blocked from
Twitter and Facebook. In 2010, when the internet was reopened, non-Chinese social
media such as Twitter and Facebook were completely blocked, and continue to be
blocked, by strong firewalls. These restrictions make it difficult for individuals to
communicate with anyone outside their country, and much less share instantaneous,
unfiltered information with family and friends, as all communication is monitored and
censored. In February 2021, Chinese authorities blocked another social media site,
Clubhouse, which is an audio-only chatting app, after some of the chats were found to
have discussed issues such as violence against the Uyghurs. The Chinese government
continues to block any discussion of human rights abuses against the Uyghurs, by both
censoring and silencing any dissenting views.

Warrant: Authoritarian governments use social media to end opposition.

Kelly, Sanja, et all. “Manipulating Social Media to Undermine Democracy” Freedom

House. 2017. https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-
net/2017/manipulating-social-media-undermine-democracy

Physical attacks against netizens and online journalists expand dramatically. The number of
countries that featured physical reprisals for online speech increased by 50 percent over the
past year—from 20 to 30 of the countries assessed. Online journalists and bloggers who wrote
on sensitive topics and individuals who criticized or mocked prevailing religious beliefs were the
most frequent targets. In eight countries, people were murdered for their online expression.
In Jordan, for example, a Christian cartoonist was shot dead after publishing an online
cartoon that lampooned Islamist militants’ vision of heaven, while in Myanmar, an
investigative journalist was murdered after posting notes on Facebook that alleged
corruption.

Champion Briefs 208

Con Arguments June 2021

Warrant: Digital Authoritarianism threatens freedom.

Shahbaz, Adrian; Funk, Allie. “The Crisis of Social Media”. Freedom House 2019.
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2019/crisis-social-media

Internet freedom is increasingly imperiled by the tools and tactics of digital

authoritarianism, which have spread rapidly around the globe. Repressive regimes,
elected incumbents with authoritarian ambitions, and unscrupulous partisan
operatives have exploited the unregulated spaces of social media platforms,
converting them into instruments for political distortion and societal control. While
social media have at times served as a level playing field for civic discussion, they are
now tilting dangerously toward illiberalism, exposing citizens to an unprecedented
crackdown on their fundamental freedoms. Moreover, a startling variety of
governments are deploying advanced tools to identify and monitor users on an
immense scale. As a result of these trends, global internet freedom declined for the
ninth consecutive year in 2019.

Warrant: Cyberbullying is also oppression

AccessScience Editors. “The Impact of Social Media.” AccessScience, McGraw-Hill

Education, 2016. https://www.accessscience.com/content/the-impact-of-social-
media/BR0630161

The influence of digital social media on societies around the world has been profound.
Social media have affected both how and how often individuals stay in contact with
friends and family members. They gave a louder voice to many people whose messages
had historically been underrepresented in media because of racism, sexism, and other
forms of bigotry. Yet social media also enabled the phenomenon of “cyberbullying” as

Champion Briefs 209

Con Arguments June 2021

a new form of oppression. As social media rose in prominence, they powerfully

disrupted the business models for most newspapers, magazines, broadcasters, and
other traditional media and hastened the failure or transformation of many of them.
Epidemiologists, sociologists, and informatics researchers often now use data mined
from social media to explore the spread of diseases, ideas, and trends through
populations.

Impact: Cyberbullying is most oppressive to women.

Muttaqin, M. & Ambarwati, Ninik. (2020). Cyberbullying and Woman Oppression.

10.2991/assehr.k.201219.083.

The results show that the existence of contemporary social media opens the door to
bullying of women. Social media became a new place for acts of harassment virtual or
cyberbullying. Conventional face-to-face bullying has shifted and is inevitably happening
in the digital world. Cyberbullying is often directed at women whose bodies are
outside the dominant discourse of beauty. This phenomenon confirms that power
relations in real life about the ideal body extend to social media. Discourse as an idea
of the production of objects of knowledge and socio- cultural control has arrouse to
patriarchal power relations identifying women's bodies as objects of male gaze. The
patriarchal perspective influences a person to a woman. This leads to exploitation of the
body through plastic surgery and diet [62]. The stereotypes that are built up in politics
today indicate that the objectification of women is maintained. In line with
expressions of representation of gender equality with the cultural compass of western
women who are synonymous with white. The proliferation of cyberbullying in
Indonesia is also supported by the overlapping regulations on violence on social
media. The Law on Information and Electronic Transactions in several articles has been
stated in the Criminal Code (KUHP), so that until today there is no firm legal product for
prosecution of cyberbullying actors. Based on data from complaints in the National

Champion Briefs 210

Con Arguments June 2021

Commission on Violence against Women, cases of violence against women in cyber

media in 2018 totaled 97 cases. Then it jumped significantly in 2020 to 281 cases. This
number shows an increase of 300% within two years with the form of violence in the
form of intimidation of the distribution of photos and videos of victims.

Analysis: Oppression takes many forms, and social media is being used to maintain control,
oppress women, and is even used by oppressive regimes to end opposition. Social media
cannot benefit democratic values when it so clearly is being used to take away freedoms and
oppress individuals and entire populations. No matter if it is one person, a group of people, or
an entire nation, oppression of any form is inherently in opposition to democratic values of any
kind.

Champion Briefs 211

Con Arguments June 2021

CON: Social media undermines fair trials

Argument: Social Media adversely impacts the possibility of fair trials.

Warrant: An impartial Jury is paramount to a fair trial.

US Gov..”RIGHTS OF ACCUSED IN CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS” Govinfo.gov.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CONAN-1992/pdf/GPO-CONAN-
1992-10-7.pdf

Second, there must be assurance that the jurors chosen are unbiased, i.e., willing to
decide the case on the basis of the evidence presented. The Court has held that in the
absence of an actual showing of bias, a defendant in the District of Columbia is not
denied an impartial jury when he is tried before a jury composed primarily of
government employees. A violation of a defendant’s right to an impartial jury does
occur, however, when the jury or any of its members is subjected to pressure or
influence which could impair freedom of action; the trial judge should conduct a
hearing in which the defense participates to determine whether impartiality has been
undermined. Exposure of the jury to possibly prejudicial material and disorderly
courtroom activities may deny impartiality and must be inquired into. Private
communications, contact, or tampering with a jury, or the creation of circumstances
raising the dangers thereof, is not to be condoned. When the locality of the trial has
been saturated with publicity about a defendant, so that it is unlikely that he can
obtain a disinterested jury, he is constitutionally entitled to a change of venue. It is
undeniably a violation of due process to subject a defendant to trial in an atmosphere
of mob or threatened mob domination.

Warrant: Juror’s are at risk of using information gained in social media and not in trial

Champion Briefs 212

Con Arguments June 2021

Byrne, Elizabeth. “Can jury trials still be fair in the age of social media?” ABC. 19 May
2017. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-20/concern-over-jury-trials-in-
internet-age/8543466

Juries are supposed to only consider the details provided to them in court. Often
aspects of the crime and even the accused's criminal history are deliberately kept
from the jury so as not to taint their opinions. But Associate Professor of Law at the
Australian National University, Mark Nolan, said a quick internet search could
sometimes reveal all. "There is a real risk that the deliberations of the jurors will
include inadmissible evidence or evidence that's not really known to the prosecution
or the defence," Associate Professor Nolan said. "That introduces inherent injustices
and illegalities."

Warrant: Millions of potential jurors world wide are on social media every day.

Tankovska, H. “Share of U.S. population who use social media 2008-2021”. Statista. Apr
14, 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/273476/percentage-of-us-
population-with-a-social-network-profile/

How many people are on social media? Social media usage is one of the most popular
online activities and in 2021, 82 percent of the population in the United States had a
social networking profile, representing a two percent increase from the 80 percent
usage reach in the previous year. This equals approximately 223 million U.S. social
media users as of 2020.

Warrant: 53% of potential US jurors consume news from social Media

Shearer, Elisa; Mitchell, Amy. “News Use Across Social Media Platforms in 2020
Facebook stands out as a regular source of news for about a third of Americans.”

Champion Briefs 213

Con Arguments June 2021

Pew Research. 12 Jan 2021. https://www.journalism.org/2021/01/12/news-use-

across-social-media-platforms-in-2020/
Among 11 social media sites asked about as a regular source of news, Facebook sits at
the top, with about a third (36%) of Americans getting news there regularly. YouTube
comes next, with 23% of U.S. adults regularly getting news there. Twitter serves as a
regular news source for 15% of U.S. adults.

Warrant: Differentiating real news is difficult on social media.

Ohio State University. "How social media makes it difficult to identify real news:
Jumbling of content makes viewers less likely to check sources." ScienceDaily.
ScienceDaily, 30 March 2020.
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200330093419.htm>

There's a price to pay when you get your news and political information from the same
place you find funny memes and cat pictures, new research suggests. The study found
that people viewing a blend of news and entertainment on a social media site tended
to pay less attention to the source of content they consumed -- meaning they could
easily mistake satire or fiction for real news. People who viewed content that was
clearly separated into categories -- such as current affairs and entertainment -- didn't
have the same issues evaluating the source and credibility of content they read. The
findings show the dangers of people getting their news from social media sites like
Facebook or Twitter, said study author George Pearson, a senior lecturer and research
associate in communication at The Ohio State University. "We are drawn to these social
media sites because they are one-stop shops for media content, updates from friends
and family, and memes or cat pictures," Pearson said. "But that jumbling of content
makes everything seem the same to us. It makes it harder for us to distinguish what
we need to take seriously from that which is only entertainment."

Champion Briefs 214

Con Arguments June 2021

Impact: Social media impairs the ability to have a fair trial

Harris, Narrelle. ‘Social Media and the Fair Trial”. Latrobe University. 2021.
https://www.latrobe.edu.au/nest/social-media-and-the-fair-trial/

By obtaining and considering material that hasn’t been presented in the courtroom,
the juror risks putting every representative in the trial at a disadvantage. The second
tenet is that the prosecution and the defense are both entitled to a fair opportunity to
address all the material considered by the jury when reaching its verdict. That
opportunity is central to the concept of a fair trial in both UK and Australian law. As the
Lord Chief Justice of England observed: Again, the reason is simple. The case is to be
decided on the evidence produced before the jury in court after they have heard
counsel’s arguments and the judge’s directions. If a juror speaks to anyone about the
case, even to someone precious and dear to him, indeed the more so if it is an
individual whose thoughts and comments are valued, that person may say something
which could influence the judgment of the juror and the outcome of the case. It will
have happened in the absence of the prosecution and the defence and the trial judge
and remaining members of the jury. None of them will know. Neither side will be able
to call evidence to deal with the point or direct arguments to demonstrate that the
point may be wrong. The verdict is then reached not only on the evidence produced in
court, but on the observations and comments of the individual to whom the juror has
spoken. That will not be a true verdict according to the evidence. It will be a verdict
according to the evidence, as supplemented by the views and comments of outsiders
without responsibility for the verdict.

Analysis: Social Media is used by billions world wide, and is a significant source of news
consumption by millions in the United States alone. The ability to differentiate real news from
skewed, clipped, or fake news on social media is difficult and rarely verified by individuals on
their own. The mere prevalence of the information on social media influences juries, despite

Champion Briefs 215

Con Arguments June 2021

the best efforts, irreparably damaging the democratic value of due process violating rights to a
fair trial in court and in regular life.

Champion Briefs 216

Con Arguments June 2021

CON: Social Media is Addictive

Argument: Social media is designed to addict people and keep them locked-in. This is bad for
democracy because it harms our ability to access cornerstone rights such as life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness.

Warrant: Social media is neurologically addictive

Daniel Kolitz. “Why Is Social Media So Addictive?” Gizmodo. 2020.

https://gizmodo.com/why-is-social-media-so-addictive-1841261494

“Research suggests that a small minority of individuals genuinely become addicted to

social media in the same way that other individuals become addicted to activities such
as drinking alcohol or gambling. For these individuals, using social media becomes the
single most important activity in their lives—they engage in social media use to the
neglect of everything else in their lives and compromise their social relationships and
educational and/or occupational activities. Most individuals who are heavy users of
social media are what I would describe as habitual users (rather than addicted users).
Some habitual users may experience problematic aspects to their social media use
(such as decreased productivity at work or educational study, and/or not spending
enough quality time with their family) but these individuals would not be classed as
social media addicts..”

Warrant: Social media is designed to be addictive to its users, like gambling

Daniel Kolitz. “Why Is Social Media So Addictive?” Gizmodo. 2020.

https://gizmodo.com/why-is-social-media-so-addictive-1841261494

Champion Briefs 217

Con Arguments June 2021

“One of the key psychological characteristics in habitual social media use is the
unpredictability and randomness of what happens within social media platforms. The
rewards—which may be physiological, psychological and/or social—can be infrequent
but even the anticipation of one of these rewards can be psychologically and/or
physiologically pleasing. The rewards are what psychologists refer to as ‘variable
reinforcement schedules’ and is one of the main reasons why social media users
repeatedly check their screens. Social media sites are embedded with many
unpredictable rewards. Habitual social media users never know if their next message or
notification will be the one that makes make them feel really good. In short, random
rewards keep individuals responding for longer. Another key ingredient that facilitates
habitual social media use is the ‘like’ button. The feature is such a simple
characteristic but has reaped huge rewards in terms of individuals repeatedly coming
back to check their social media platforms, and what some have described as a
‘craving for validation’.”

Warrant: Social media preys upon our fears of being left out

Daniel Kolitz. “Why Is Social Media So Addictive?” Gizmodo. 2020.

https://gizmodo.com/why-is-social-media-so-addictive-1841261494

“There is also ‘reciprocal liking’. This is the tendency for individuals to like others who
express a liking for themselves (‘I like you because you like me’). For instance, when an
individual presses the ‘like’ button on a selfie that has been uploaded onto a social
networking site, the individual receiving the ‘like’ is more likely to reciprocate if the
other individual posts an online selfie. Social media operators can exploit this human
condition of reciprocal liking by alerting individuals when another person has read
something posted or communicated online. Such alerts encourage the receiving
individuals to respond. In addition to the human need to connect and reciprocate,
individuals also like to be socially competitive. This can also be a driving force in

Champion Briefs 218

Con Arguments June 2021

repeated and habitual social media use. As soon as the ‘like’ button was introduced, it
also meant that individuals could keep count of the number of ‘likes’ they received in
relation to the content posted.”

Warrant: Social media habits are hard to break

Ali Fenwick. “Why is social media addictive?” Hult Business School. 2020.
https://www.hult.edu/blog/why-social-media-is-addictive/

“When we think of habits, we often think of behaviors which unconsciously creep into
our lives and drive many of our daily routines. We tend to think of habits as good or
bad. Brushing your teeth in the morning or going to the gym after work can be
considered good habits. Smoking regularly or eating junk food are generally considered
bad habits. What both good and bad habits have in common, are their ability to help the
brain preserve critical cognitive resources. This can then be used for more important
mental tasks such as decision-making and self-control regulation. It is often said that
‘habits die hard’, and the reason for this lays in how habits form in our brain. When
we do something we like and accomplish the task at hand, our reward system in our
brain (the mesolimbic dopamine system to be exact), produces a hormone called
dopamine. Dopamine (otherwise known as the happiness hormone) make us feel good,
so we tend to repeat behaviors that give us pleasure. Over time, these behaviors (done
repeatedly) turn into habits and become hardwired in the brain, making it both difficult
and unpleasant to undo..”

Warrant: Even social media habits are alarming because of their connection to additction

Ali Fenwick. “Why is social media addictive?” Hult Business School. 2020.
https://www.hult.edu/blog/why-social-media-is-addictive/

Champion Briefs 219

Con Arguments June 2021

“Habits and addictions form in the same part of the brain. The only difference being
the level of self-control we exert to prevent a habit turning into an addiction. Over-
reliance on habits can suspend critical mental tasks like decision-making, judgment
and self-control management. Most of these strategies help hack our brain by helping
us to overcome self-control issues. Give your automatic brain some downtime, and try
some of these strategies to lower your mobile phone and social media usage.”

Analysis: The ability to make autonomous decisions unimpeded by the gaze of technology is a
cornerstone democratic ideal. Make the case to your judge that freedom means the freedom to
act and the freedom to think.

Champion Briefs 220

Con Arguments June 2021

CON: Social Media Can Alter Political Behavior

Argument: Social media is incredibly influential and can shape people’s lives, including political
behaviors.

Warrant: Social media propogates problematic political views

John Jones. “Social Media Effects: Hijacking Democracy and Civility in Civic Engagement”
Ohio State University. 2020.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7343248/#:~:text=Social%20ne
tworks%20such%20as%20Twitter,a%20particular%20way%20of%20thinking.

“New and social media are hailed as vehicles for providing a voice to the voiceless. They
are also viewed as a way to overcome state-controlled media and content (Bartlett,
Birdwell, & Littler, 2011) especially in the developing world (Bartlett, Birdwell, & Littler,
2011). However, social media platforms are also increasingly being used as a means for
empowering disruptive voices, messages, or ideologies (e.g., xenophobia, neo-Nazism,
anti-immigration/ globalization, cultural homogeneity, etc.) (Cook, Waugh,
Abdipanah, Hashemi, & Rahman, 2014; Gleason, 2013). The ability of a person or
group to overstate an agenda and dominate the conversation is easily accomplished
on social media such as Twitter. This is because social media do not subscribe to the
same established journalistic rules of vetting and reporting news. Furthermore, the
size of a group or an organization pushing a particular message no longer matters.”

Warrant: Social media enflames political populism

John Jones. “Social Media Effects: Hijacking Democracy and Civility in Civic Engagement”
Ohio State University. 2020.

Champion Briefs 221

Con Arguments June 2021

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7343248/#:~:text=Social%20ne
tworks%20such%20as%20Twitter,a%20particular%20way%20of%20thinking.

“The political landscape has been transformed by new and social media. This
transformation has resulted in an increased rise of populism around the world.
Subsequently, the active role of the audience as made possible by social media has
become a great opportunity for populist actors to spread their political messages or
agendas (Moffitt, 2016). The proliferation of populism through media is not new.
Historically in Europe, the populist radical-right parties (PRRPs) and actors have been
using media (e.g., TV, radio, print press) as platforms for their messages since World
War II (Mudde, 2013). However, new and social media reache a larger audience with
political content via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Weibo (Moffitt, 2016). This
audience can now be reached at greater speeds and within a short time span (DeLuca,
Lawson, & Sun, 2013). The role of new and social media is central to the populism
movement because it represents political strategies in novel and exciting forms
(Mudde, 2007, 2013; Moffitt, 2016). In this vein, social networks are better suited as a
method of creating social webs designed to facilitate the diffusion of desired behavior
among groups of people (i.e., Centola & Christakis, 2014).”

Warrant: Social media can harm political decision making process

John Jones. “Social Media Effects: Hijacking Democracy and Civility in Civic Engagement”
Ohio State University. 2020.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7343248/#:~:text=Social%20ne
tworks%20such%20as%20Twitter,a%20particular%20way%20of%20thinking.

“However, the nature of social media in a political discourse must be conceptualized

within the context of democracy theory. For the most part, democratic theory
subscribes to the idea of human involvement in non-activist decision making,

Champion Briefs 222

Con Arguments June 2021

otherwise referred to as participatory democracy (Moote, McClaran, & Chickering,

1997). At the core of participatory democracy theory is the role of the public or
citizens in rational evaluations of the pros and cons of an issue. This is especially the
case when individuals are participating in decision making or offering rewards (Kweit &
Kweit, 1987; Moote et al., 1997). However, with the introduction of social media,
affected people are encouraged to voice their opinions even though they do not
necessarily engage in the democratic process. More specifically, the coherent
discussion of ideas has been substituted with the spread of fragmented ideas,
resulting in the spread of populism (Wirth et al., 2016). To this end, social media in
political discourse are rife with a pathological form of democracy (Betz, 1994;
Engesser, Ernst, Esser, & Büchel, 2017). Similarly, although the spread of populism
extends beyond Westernized societies, Mudde (2007) concurs that populism has
become mainstream in Western democratic politics.”

Warrant: Social media politics threaten political unity

Gordon Hull. “Why social media may not be so good for democracy?” The Conversation.
2020. https://theconversation.com/why-social-media-may-not-be-so-good-for-
democracy-86285

“At this point, two-thirds of Americans get at least some of their news from social
media outlets. This means that two-thirds of Americans get at least some of their
news from highly curated and personalized black-box algorithms. Facebook remains,
by a significant margin, the most prevalent source of fake news. Not unlike forced, false
confessions of witchcraft in the Middle Ages, these stories get repeated often enough
that they could appear legitimate. What we are witnessing, in other words, is the
potential collapse of a significant part of the imagined community that is the American
polity. Although the U.S. is also divided demographically and there are sharp

Champion Briefs 223

Con Arguments June 2021

demographic differences between regions within the country, partisan differences are
dwarfing other divisions in society.”

Warrant: Even social media habits are alarming because of their connection to additction

Gordon Hull. “Why social media may not be so good for democracy?” The Conversation.
2020. https://theconversation.com/why-social-media-may-not-be-so-good-for-
democracy-86285

“Habits and addictions form in the same part of the brain. The only difference being
the level of self-control we exert to prevent a habit turning into an addiction. Over-
reliance on habits can suspend critical mental tasks like decision-making, judgment
and self-control management. Most of these strategies help hack our brain by helping
us to overcome self-control issues. Give your automatic brain some downtime, and try
some of these strategies to lower your mobile phone and social media usage.”

Analysis: The ability to conduct deliberative and informed dialogue is essential for the
continuation of democracy. Make the case that social media informs our worst impulses and
breaks our political unity.

Champion Briefs 224

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social media allows for direct interaction with candidates

Warrant: Americans do not have a positive view of social media in relation to politics

Casey Newton, 11-21-2018, "A majority of Americans don’t think social

networks are good for the world," Verge. 21 Nov. 2018. Web. 8 May, 2021.
https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/21/18105677/facebook-axios-survey

The authors note that the disdain for social media, as of this year, is a fully bipartisan
phenomenon. Whether it’s the ginned-up outrage about “censorship” or something
more legitimate, Republicans now believe social media is worse for democracy and free
speech than Democrats do. Meanwhile, the number of people who think social media
is a net positive for society is down to 40 percent. If you think social networks are a
boon to the republic, you are officially now in the minority. Among other things, the poll
suggests that the networks are doing a bad job making this case for themselves —
despite making huge investments in policy and communications teams.

Study: Analysis shows that candidates in reality are not using social media to connect with
voters

Rasmus Nielsen. 2013. “Do People “Like” Politicians on Facebook? Not Really.
Large-Scale Direct Candidate-to-Voter Online Communication as an Outlier
Phenomenon” International Journal of Communication. 2013. Web. 8 May. 2021.
https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/viewFile/1717/1014

This article has examined whether the 2010 U.S. midterm congressional elections saw
widespread direct communication between people and politicians via the pull media
of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and campaign websites. Based on an analysis of the

Champion Briefs 226

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

112 most competitive congressional districts, it did not. Across all four of the most
commonly used Web platforms, and with respect to the vast majority of candidates, the
kind of direct candidate-to-voter communication that Golbeck et al. (2010),
Gueorguieva (2008), and Iyengar (2011), as well as many other scholars studying digital
politics in countries other than the United States, have recently highlighted as
something made possible by social networking sites remains exactly that—possible, but
not something that actually happens on a large scale for most candidates. Closer
examination of 224 candidates’ Web presence reveals a terrain characterized by four
features that challenge the notion that candidates communicate directly with
significant numbers of citizens online: (1) limited reach in terms of the number of
people who follow most campaigns on various platforms; (2) high levels of
concentration of attention across all platforms, with a few politicians drawing many
people, and most drawing few; (3) considerable correlations between visibility on each
platform, where candidates who do well on one also tend to do well on the others; and
(4) noticeable growth in the total number of people following candidates in the course
of the campaign period without any change in the overall pattern of highly skewed
distributions. These findings challenge the notion that pull Internet tools such as
campaign websites and social media profiles facilitate large-scale direct
communication between candidates and citizens. Although our analysis supports
studies that have shown widespread adoption of new tools for campaign
communications among candidates on the supply side (Gulati & Williams, 2007, 2011),
the rather small size of their audiences supports the view that much political
communication online directly reaches only a small minority on the demand side, most
likely those who were already interested in the politician in question (as found for
earlier generations of Internet tools; see, e.g., Bimber & Davis, 2003; Norris, 2003). Only
a few exceptional politicians attract substantial followings online; most candidates reach
very few people, even when they use popular Internet tools like Facebook.

Champion Briefs 227

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

Study: Not only do candidates not utilize social media, but votes do not care for their online
presence

Rasmus Nielsen. 2013. “Do People “Like” Politicians on Facebook? Not Really.
Large-Scale Direct Candidate-to-Voter Online Communication as an Outlier
Phenomenon” International Journal of Communication. 2013. Web. 8 May. 2021.
https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/viewFile/1717/1014

The promise of direct communication seems plausible in light of high levels of Internet
use in postindustrial democracies, where access is less of a limiting factor. Vassia
Gueorguieva (2008) has suggested that the emergence of social networking sites
“created benefits such as increasing the potential for candidate exposure at a low cost
or no cost [and] providing lesser known candidates with a viable outlet to divulge their
message” (p. 288). Jennifer Golbeck et al. (2010) argue that tools like Twitter provide a
forum for “direct communication between Congresspeople and their constituents” (p.
1620). Shanto Iyengar (2011) has recently noted that “the advent of video sharing
technology and the rapid growth in the reach of social networking sites [have] opened
up vast new possibilities for direct candidate to voter communication” (p. 4). But even
as more candidates and citizens go online, it is not a given that they actually
communicate online—that the potential for direct communication is realized. The
precondition for this is that people pay attention to politicians on Facebook and
similar platforms. As described in this article, a closer examination of candidates’ Web
presence suggests that, in most cases, they do not.

Warrant: Voter turnout does not increase with increased interaction with candidates

Enrico Cantoni. 2016. “Do Interactions with Candidates Increase Voter Support and
Participation? Experimental Evidence from Italy” Harvard Business School. 2016.
Web. 8 May, 2021.

Champion Briefs 228

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

https://www.povertyactionlab.org/sites/default/files/research-paper/5011_Do-
Interractions-with-Candidates-Increase-Voter-Support-and-
Participantion_Pons_Feb2017.pdf

Decreasing participation in the United States and in many European countries is

paralleled by another trend: a growing number of citizens express skepticism about
politicians’ responsiveness to their concerns. Partnering with a civic organization that
ran a list of candidates for city council seats during the 2014 Italian municipal
elections, we test whether discussions between candidates and voters can help bridge
this gap and increase voter turnout. The answer is a surprising no: doorto-door visits
made by the candidates during the five weeks before the election did not have any
significant effect on electoral participation. In addition, we do not find any effect of the
candidates’ visits on any subgroup of the population, whether defined by age, gender,
place of birth, or turnout history. Our results enable us to discuss possible
interpretations of the failure of voter mobilization by candidates in this study.

Analysis: The best way to go about responding to this argument is by looking at studies that
investigate how social media is actually being used to connect with constituents. By using the
two studies above along with other studies around the same topics, teams can challenge the
hypothesis that greater connection through platforms is helpful, effectively mitigating the
impact. Teams can also use analysis about the Trump presidency and consider how social
media was used and to use analytics during cross fire and rebuttal to challenge the notion of
greater politician involvement with constituents as necessarily good.

Champion Briefs 229

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social media decreases entry barriers for political newcomers

Mitigation: social media is primarily beneficial to younger candidates so the impact is not
evenly shared by all newcomers

Knowledge @Wharton writers team, 09-26-2016. , "Political Newcomers: How Twitter

Can Boost Your Campaign," Knowledge@Wharton, Sep 29, 2016, Web, 11 May,
2021. https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/political-newcomers-heres-
twitter-can-boost-campaign/

As for what is driving the advantage for inexperienced politicians, Yildirim says one
explanation could be that incumbents may devote their resources and attention toward
existing relationships with traditional media rather than social platforms. Another
possibility is that the results reflect the learning curve as voters inform themselves
about a new candidate: While tweets by political unknowns are conveying all-new
information, the views of incumbents might already be familiar to voters. “Experienced
politicians need to realize that their competitors are somehow finding a voice and
catching up with them” by using social media, Yildirim says. The research also has
implications beyond the political arena, suggesting that younger brands will have
more success moving the needle through social media, she adds. “Although we focus
on politics, the results we are finding will directly apply to new young companies, as well
as experienced companies because they face the same communications challenges
through traditional and social media.”

Warrant: social media is actually the most harmful to newer candidates

Makena Kelly, 5-4-2020, "Candidates can’t campaign, so they’re trying to

Champion Briefs 230

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

go viral," Verge. 4 May, 2020. Web. 11 May, 2021.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/4/21244667/election-candidates-zoom-
campaign-social-media-politicians-rally

Social distancing has already wreaked havoc on the 2020 campaign cycle. Simply holding
an election has become difficult, with some primaries compromised and others canceled
outright. In a memo last month, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
urged down-ballot candidates to follow suit and hold “as many activities as possible”
online, suggesting that they stream virtual town halls and hold online phone banks with
volunteers instead of more traditional in-person events.“If you have a campaign that’s
already leaning heavily on media for messaging and voter contact, this might not be a
terrible situation,” Spiers said. “But if you have a more grassroots campaign where you
really are relying on field operations to get people out and to get the candidate into
the community, it’s a lot tougher.” Candidates who are adept at social media can
transition some of their campaigns over the internet. But in many cases, they can’t even
get on the ballot because of social distancing orders. According to Elizabeth Spiers, a
digital media veteran who now runs a political consulting shop called The Insurrection,
that confusion is hurting up-and-coming candidates the most.

Non-Unique: Non-establishment candidates are in demand and are currently being elected at
high rates, social media isn’t necessary.

Raymond J. La Raja and Jonathan Rauch, 6-29-2020, "How inexperienced candidates and
primary challenges are making Republicans the protest party," Brookings. 29 Jun.
2020. Web. 11 May, 2021.
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/06/29/how-inexperienced-
candidates-and-primary-challenges-are-making-republicans-the-protest-party/

Champion Briefs 231

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

Still, there are lots of political newcomers entering House primaries. We find that 70%
to 80% of primary candidates are what we will call inexperienced (or amateurs),
meaning they lack prior experience in elective office. We contrast them with what we
will call experienced candidates (or office-holders), candidates coming from other
elective positions. (Thomsen uses Gary C. Jacobson’s measure of candidate quality,
indicating whether the candidate has ever held elective public office of any kind.) Over
time, there has not been much change in the supply of newcomers in either party. But
the demand for newcomers has been higher, in general, among Republicans than
Democrats. As Figure 1 shows, amateurs have generally fared better against
experienced candidates in Republican primaries than in Democratic primaries,
especially during the period of the Republican revolution that swept the House into
Republican hands in 1994. And in 2016, with a populist newcomer at the top of the
ticket, Republican amateurs fared extraordinarily well, beating experienced
nonincumbents in more than half of the primaries where they squared off.

Warrant: Established candidates benefit from social media the most because of disparity of
resources

Makena Kelly, 5-4-2020, "Candidates can’t campaign, so they’re trying to

go viral," Verge. 4 May, 2020. Web. 11 May, 2021.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/4/21244667/election-candidates-zoom-
campaign-social-media-politicians-rally

The most successful candidates have been those who already had resources to draw
on. A sitting congressman and a member of a storied political dynasty, Rep. Joe
Kennedy III’s (D-MA) is running to unseat Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) in Massachusetts’
Senate primary on September 1st. Markey has arguably stronger progressive credentials
(including a much-coveted AOC endorsement), but you wouldn’t know it from checking
Facebook, where Kennedy has racked up over a million followers. (He has around

Champion Briefs 232

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

100,000 on Instagram and Twitter, too.) Since the start of the pandemic, Kennedy has
been holding near-daily check-ins over Twitter with constituents, talking about current
events, and holding town halls with famous celebrities and philanthropists like Chef José
Andrés and the cast of the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen. “Our goal was to run a
very aggressive retail campaign, and that means a lot of handshakes and high fives, and
you can’t do that right now,” Kennedy told The Verge in an interview. “As our team got
together to think, we decided to go heavy into the digital space and try to create
something interesting, relevant, and of note for an audience while being as open and as
honest as we can.”

Analysis: The strongest response to this argument is to challenge the assumption of the
argument: newcomers not having major success in the current political climate. Teams should
push teams to. By using the mitigation of 80% of candidates being “new”, teams can then argue
that there isn’t a significant amount of urgency to prioritize this argument in the round. After
doing this, neg teams can assert the relative importance of their own argument in comparison.

Champion Briefs 233

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social media holds politicians accountable

Warrant: Pakistani study complicates the idea of how easily accountability can be accomplished

Saiqa Sadiq. “THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOWARDS POLITICAL

ACCOUNTABILITY IN PAKISTAN: A LITERATURE REVIEW” Global Journal of
Political Science and Administration Vol.6, No.5, pp.39-47, October 2018
https://www.eajournals.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Role-of-Social-Media-
towards-Political-Accountability-in-Pakistan.pdf

Wholesomely, Pakistan literature is not substantially explained the social media role
and its contribution towards political accountability. A few studies has been done in
Pakistani perspective but literature is scattered and studies done so far with a limited
scope. Though, plenty of studies done on social media internationally but most of the
studies focused on electoral campaigns and political protest but everyday politics
catches least no of scholar’s attention. However, accountability through electoral
process is very long procedure. Therefore, it is worthy to explore social media potential
regarding political accountability. This paper is a minor endeavour to contribute in
overall literature related to social media and political accountability and particularly in
Pakistani context. As far as future research is concerned, after reviewing extensive
literature, the underpinning study find out that most of literature is based on electoral
campaigns and their strategic pledges to win elections. However every politics is under
studied area so future scholars must pay attention towards it. It is worthy to explore
everyday politics thereby policy preferences of political party and influences of voters
over them can be stab out. Moreover, electoral way of political accountability is long
procedure rather social media conversation is a quickest way to discuss political
graveness.

Non-Unique: Accountability has been long gone in America, social media will not change it

Champion Briefs 234

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

Karen J. Greenberg, 8-4-2020, "Government Accountability Has Been Long Gone in the
US," Nation. 4 Aug. 2020. Web. 11 May, 2021.
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-coronavirus-accountability/

In other words, Donald Trump and his team have given lack of accountability a new
meaning in America. Their refusal to accept the slightest responsibility for Covid-19’s
rampage through this country may seem startling (or simply like our new reality) in a
land that has traditionally defined itself as dedicated to democratic governance, and the
rule of law. It has long seen itself as committed to transparency and justice, through
investigations, reports, and checks and balances, notably via the courts and Congress,
designed to ensure that its politicians and officials be held responsible for their actions.
The essence of democracy—the election—was also the essence of accountability,
something whose results Donald Trump recently tried to throw into doubt when it
comes to the contest this November. Still, the loss of accountability isn’t simply a
phenomenon of the Trump years. Its erosion has been coming for a long time at what,
in retrospect, should seem an alarmingly inexorable pace. In August 2020, it should be
obvious that America, a still titanic (if fading) power, has largely thrown accountability
overboard. With that in mind, here’s a little history of how it happened.

Warrant: Social media companies do not hold politicians accountable

Yael Eisenstat. 1-11-2021, "How to Hold Social Media Accountable for Undermining
Democracy," Harvard Business Review. 11 Jan. 2021. Web. 12 May, 2021.
https://hbr.org/2021/01/how-to-hold-social-media-accountable-for-
undermining-democracy

The storming of the U.S. Capitol Building on Wednesday by a mob of pro-Trump

insurrectionists was shocking, but it was not surprising to anyone who has followed the

Champion Briefs 235

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

growing prominence of conspiracy theorists, hate groups, and purveyors of

disinformation online. While the blame for President Trump’s incitement to
insurrection lies squarely with him, the biggest social media companies — most
prominently my former employer, Facebook — are absolutely complicit. They have not
only allowed Trump to lie and sow division for years, their business models have
exploited our biases and weaknesses and abetted the growth of conspiracy-touting hate
groups and outrage machines. They have done this without bearing any responsibility
for how their products and business decisions effect our democracy; in this case,
including allowing an insurrection to be planned and promoted on their platforms. This
isn’t new information. I, for one, have written and spoken about how Facebook profits
by amplifying lies, providing dangerous targeting tools to political operatives seeking
to sow division and distrust, and polarizing and even radicalizing users. As we neared
the 2020 election, a chorus of civil rights leaders, activists, journalists, and academics
wrote recommendations, publicly condemned Facebook, and privately back channeled
content policy proposals; employees resigned in protest; advertisers boycotted;
legislators held hearings.

Warrant: Social media platforms have a lack of dedication to ensuring accountability

Sam Gregory, 01-2021, "Truth, lies and social media accountability in 2021," WITNESS
Blog, Jan. 2021. Web. 12 May, 2021. https://blog.witness.org/2021/01/truth-
lies-accountability-2021/

Human right activists globally (e.g. in Myanmar, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, the
Philippines, Hungary, and India) have pointed out the failure of platforms to resource,
respond to, and act when social media is used to incite violence, amplify crisis, or stir
hatred in their countries — often coordinated, commercialized and directed by
governments. In the US, activists have called Facebook and other platforms to account
for failing to address racialized hate and misinformation. For WITNESS’s partners,

Champion Briefs 236

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

these problems are a daily lived reality: the unwelcome take down of a critical
evidentiary or revelatory video, an online attack from an unknown source, a “rumor”
that sparks real-world violence, or a coordinated smear campaign such as the kind that
targeted the monk Luon Sovath in Cambodia. Although some progress has been made,
in the overwhelming majority of contexts activists point to an under-resourcing of
corporate staff responsible for reacting to crises, neglect of civil society calls for
action, over-cosiness and closeness of platforms to political power-holders, and lack of
understanding of context and harm in order to make informed decisions about
potential risks. Leading digital rights activist Nighat Dad of Digital Rights Foundation
Pakistan captured the frustration felt by so many advocates globally in her tweets
following January 6th:

Analysis: There are two main ways to address this argument- discuss the hardship of altering
the current trend of accountability in America or discuss the unmet burden on social media
platforms to ensure accountability. Both of these arguments effectively mitigate the impact
that social media may have on promoting government accountability. Another potential route
to look into is by discussing what kind of things some politicians and not others are held
accountable for (think Donald Trump’s many scandals) and ask the question how do we know
people will care enough to hold a politician accountable?

Champion Briefs 237

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social media is a cheap option for advertisements

Warrant: Social media advertisements are expensive

Ari Levy,Salvador Rodriguez,Megan Graham, 5-8-2020, “Why political campaigns are

flooding Facebook with ad dollars,” CNBC. 8 May, 2020. Web. 11 May, 2021.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/08/trump-biden-pacs-spend-big-on-facebook-
as-election-nears.html

Anti-Trump super PAC Defeat by Tweet launched in June and has run up an advertising
bill of more than $800,000 with an online campaign that encourages people to
automatically donate money every time the president tweets. Thanks to Trump’s
habitual tweeting, the group has parlayed its spending into about $3 million of
fundraising. However, none of that ad spending has been on Twitter. Instead, it’s taking
place exclusively on rival social media site Facebook. Defeat by Tweet is far from alone.
Scores of political candidates and outside groups have loaded up on Facebook spending
ahead of next month’s election. That’s partly because Facebook reaches over a quarter-
billion users in North America every month and has a family of popular apps, including
Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp. But it’s also because many other ad-supported
sites have retreated from politics, leaving Facebook as the only game in town. Google,
the largest internet advertising company, limited the ability for campaigns to target
users with political ads. Twitter banned political advertising altogether after CEO Jack
Dorsey proclaimed last October that “political message reach should be earned, not
bought.” TikTok also forbids political ads, and Snap has promised to fact-check them.

Historical Precedent: the 2016 elections

Sue Halpern, 10-24-2019, "The Problem of Political Advertising on Social Media," New

Champion Briefs 238

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

Yorker. 24 Oct. 2019. Web. 12 May, 2021.

https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-problem-of-
political-advertising-on-social-media

In the course of the 2016 Presidential election, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton spent
eighty-one million dollars on Facebook ads. With a little more than a year to go until
the next election, candidates have already spent more than sixty-three million dollars
marketing themselves on Facebook and Google. Trump’s campaign has spent more
than anyone else’s, with a total of twenty-four million dollars in digital-ad buys. Two
of those ads, which were released on Facebook on October 2nd, falsely accused the
former Vice-President Joe Biden of offering Ukrainian officials a billion dollars to drop a
case against his son Hunter. The ads, which were seen by over four million people,
include a six-second video edited to make it seem like Biden openly confesses to the
scheme. When the Biden campaign asked Facebook to remove the ad, however, the
company refused. “Our approach is grounded in Facebook’s fundamental belief in free
expression, respect for the democratic process, and the belief that, in mature
democracies with a free press, political speech is already arguably the most scrutinized
speech there is,” Katie Harbath, Facebook’s public-policy director for global elections,
wrote to the Biden campaign. “Thus, when a politician speaks or makes an ad, we do not
send it to third party fact-checkers.”

Warrant: Americans do not want social media used for political advertisements

BROOKE AUXIER. 09-24-2020. “54% of Americans say social media companies shouldn’t
allow any political ads” Pew Research Center. 24 Sep. 2020. Web. 12 May, 2021.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/09/24/54-of-americans-say-
social-media-companies-shouldnt-allow-any-political-ads/

Champion Briefs 239

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

More than half of U.S. adults (54%) say social media companies should not allow any
political advertisements on their platforms. And a larger share (77%) finds it not very
or not at all acceptable for these companies to use data about their users’ online
activities to show them ads from political campaigns, according to a Pew Research
Center survey conducted Sept. 8-13, 2020. At the same time, 45% say social media
companies should allow at least some political ads on their platforms, with 26% saying
these firms should allow all of these ads and 19% backing the idea that only some
should be allowed. And 22% think it is at least somewhat acceptable for social media
companies to use data about their users’ online activities to show them political
campaign ads. The sentiments against political ads extend across most groups, though
there are some differences tied to factors like partisanship and age. For instance, just
15% of Democrats and independents who lean toward the Democratic Party say that
social media companies should allow all political ads on their platforms, compared with
38% of Republicans and GOP leaners. Some 27% of Democrats say only some political
ads should be allowed on these platforms, compared with a much smaller share of
Republicans (10%) who say the same. When it comes to not allowing any political ads on
these sites at all, 56% of Democrats and half of Republicans express this view.

Warrant: Most social media sites don’t even permit political advertisements

Mark Scott, 11-29-2020, "Why banning political ads on social media misses the point,"
POLITICO. 29 Nov, 2020. Web. 12 May, 2021.
https://www.politico.eu/article/facebook-twitter-google-political-ad-ban/

Social media giants have come up with a plan in response to growing anger about how
political ads spread like wildfire across the web: They're going to ban them. That is
what Twitter has in store after its global moratorium on such paid-for political
messaging, which comes into force on Friday. Not to be outdone, Google also
announced its own efforts, significantly reducing how these partisan ads could be

Champion Briefs 240

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

targeted at would-be voters in changes that will apply globally from early
2020.Facebook — by far the largest platform used by political actors to reach people
from Berlin to Boston — has flagged its willingness to reduce the potency of such
political ads. Yet so far, it has dragged its feet and angered many after Mark Zuckerberg,
the company's boss, said the social network would not fact-check messages from
political groups, even if they spouted incorrect information. A blanket ban sounds like
an easy solution to the growing problem of digital misinformation and highly partisan
views that now litter everyone's social media feeds.

Analysis: By really focusing on both the expense of social media as advertising along with the
complications of even utilizing these platforms, neg teams can draw into question the validity
of the premise of the aff argument. Teams can make analysis about how social media is simply
taking over the spot that other forms of advertisements used to have in America (or at least
growing to be their size) which would not lead to a net reduction in spending. Neg teams
should press aff teams running this argument to show a decrease in cost of campaign after
employing social media to advertise.

Champion Briefs 241

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social media makes protests easier

Answer: Social media creates ineffective slacktivism

Warrant: Engaging in political activity online does not influence external political activity

St. Louis Public Radio. “Activism Or Slacktivism? How Social Media Hurts And Helps Student
Activism.” St. Louis Public Radio, 3 Jan. 2014, https://news.stlpublicradio.org/2014-01-
02/activism-or-slacktivism-how-social-media-hurts-and-helps-student-activism.

Slacktivism is a term for giving token support for a cause, like wearing a pin or “liking”
something on Facebook, without being willing to engage in more meaningful support, like
donating time or money. And with the presence of social media, being a slacktivist is easier now
than ever. A recent study from the University of British Columbia found that when people
participate in a form of public token support, they aren't any more likely to participate in a
form of more meaningful support in the future. Someone who "likes" a cause on Facebook
wouldn't be any more likely to donate in the future than someone who had no exposure to
the cause at all. Kirk Kristofferson is one of the authors of the study. “What we found is that the
social observability of the token support really impacted how likely consumers were to follow up
and provide real support for that charity," Kristofferson said. "We found that when consumers
gave public support, they were no more likely to provide more meaningful support for the cause
than if someone was just randomly asked for the larger request."

Warrant: Slacktivism is simply a token form of protest

Gillmore, Scott. “The Problem with #slacktivism.” Macleans.Ca, 11 Nov. 2014,

https://www.macleans.ca/society/the-real-problem-with-slacktivism/.

The #BringBackOurGirls campaign is the latest disgrace from slacktivists, those who support
good causes by doing very little, and achieving even less. A slacktivist is someone who
believes it is more important to be seen to help than to actually help. He will wear a T-shirt to
raise awareness. She will wear a wristband to demonstrate support, sign a petition to add her

Champion Briefs 242

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021
voice, share a video to spread the message, even pour a bucket of ice over her head. The one
thing slacktivists don’t do is help by, for example, giving money or time to those who are truly
making the world a better place: the cancer researcher, the aid worker, the hospice manager.
Twenty years ago, a lazy college student would arrive at campus and happily discover it was
“Blue Jean Day” to promote gay rights. Never mind that our noble slacker only ever wore blue
jeans; that day, he was magically transformed into someone who gets it, a man who
empathizes, a student who cares. It was a heady experience and, a few months later, the
budding slacktivist would see a pile of buttons supporting the Dalai Lama; he would remember
the warm altruistic glow of Blue Jean Day, and then take two.

Answer: Social media creates echo chambers

Warrant: Social media algorithms create echo chambers

Muhammad, Zia. Study Reveals How Social Media Algorithms Create Echo Chambers. 13 June
2020, https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2020/06/study-reveals-how-social-
media-algorithms-create-echo-chambers.html.

While social media has definitely helped to bring the world together, in many ways it has
caused just as many problems as it has solved. One of the problems associated with a lot of
social media platforms is that they often end up turning into echo chambers also known as
filter bubble. While the people that use Facebook most likely have a wide variety of beliefs,
there are billions of users on the platform after all, they are unlikely to encounter each other
and so might falsely end up thinking that what they believe is actually the norm. There is a very
concrete reason behind this, one that a recent study revealed has a lot to do with active
choices platforms like Facebook and Twitter often make in terms of moderating the user
experience. These two social media sites use centralized algorithms among other processes that
curate a user experience that would conform to the comfort zone of said user.

Warrant: Social media limits exposure to other points of view

Champion Briefs 243

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021
Cinelli, Matteo, et al. “The Echo Chamber Effect on Social Media.” Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, vol. 118, no. 9, National Academy of Sciences, Mar. 2021.
www.pnas.org, doi:10.1073/pnas.2023301118.

Social media may limit the exposure to diverse perspectives and favor the formation of groups
of like-minded users framing and reinforcing a shared narrative, that is, echo chambers.
However, the interaction paradigms among users and feed algorithms greatly vary across social
media platforms. This paper explores the key differences between the main social media
platforms and how they are likely to influence information spreading and echo chambers’
formation. We perform a comparative analysis of more than 100 million pieces of content
concerning several controversial topics (e.g., gun control, vaccination, abortion) from Gab,
Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter. We quantify echo chambers over social media by two main
ingredients: 1) homophily in the interaction networks and 2) bias in the information diffusion
toward like-minded peers. Our results show that the aggregation of users in homophilic
clusters dominate online interactions on Facebook and Twitter. We conclude the paper by
directly comparing news consumption on Facebook and Reddit, finding higher segregation on
Facebook.

Analysis: This is a good response because even if there is more political activism on the pro side, this
does not mean that it will convince anyone. Quite the contrary, echo chambers ensure that any
increase in protests will only reach people who already agree. This entirely mitigates the pro’s
argument.

Champion Briefs 244

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social media increases political advertisements

Answer: Political ads should not be allowed on social media

Warrant: Most Americans oppose political ads on social media

Auxier, Brooke. “54% of Americans Say Social Media Companies Shouldn’t Allow Any Political
Ads.” Pew Research Center, 24 Sept. 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-
tank/2020/09/24/54-of-americans-say-social-media-companies-shouldnt-allow-any-
political-ads/.

More than half of U.S. adults (54%) say social media companies should not allow any political
advertisements on their platforms. And a larger share (77%) finds it not very or not at all
acceptable for these companies to use data about their users’ online activities to show them
ads from political campaigns, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted Sept. 8-
13, 2020. At the same time, 45% say social media companies should allow at least some political
ads on their platforms, with 26% saying these firms should allow all of these ads and 19%
backing the idea that only some should be allowed. And 22% think it is at least somewhat
acceptable for social media companies to use data about their users’ online activities to show
them political campaign ads.

Warrant: Social media advertisements can help politicians spread incorrect information

Goldman, Eric. “Why Social Media Companies Should Renew Their Bans on Political Ads.” Santa
Clara Univeristy, 8 Dec. 2020, https://www.scu.edu/ethics/internet-ethics-blog/why-
social-media-companies-should-renew-their-bans-on-political-ads/.

Online political ads pose two significant structural challenges for social media services:
transparency and fact-checking. Regarding transparency: Politicians can target their ads to
deliver customized messages to niche audiences. This helps politicians express inconsistent
(and likely false) messages to different communities without being held accountable for any
hypocrisy or disingenuousness. To curb this risk, Facebook and Google created databases that

Champion Briefs 245

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021
allow third parties to monitor politicians’ advertising practices — a remarkable resource that
virtually no other media publishers provide. These databases help with transparency, but they
may not be enough. Researchers at New York University’s Ad Observatory have shown that
Facebook’s database is missing a significant number of political ads, and Facebook does not
disclose the targeting information for the ads it does include. Even if services do more to
address the transparency issue, however, the fact-checking problem is essentially unfixable.
Politicians often lie to potential voters. Some lies are relatively harmless while others are
brazen contradictions of well-known facts or promises that the politician never intends to keep.
Because factual statements come in many shades, services struggle with how to best navigate
the gray area between absolute truth and pure fiction.

Answer: Political advertisements increase division among voters

Warrant: Most ads appeal to anger

Ordway, Denise-Marie. “Negative Political Ads and Their Effect on Voters: Updated Collection of
Research.” The Journalist’s Resource, 25 Sept. 2016,
https://journalistsresource.org/politics-and-government/negative-political-ads-effects-
voters-research-roundup/.

Many people have a visceral reaction to political attack ads on TV: Not much will prompt a
faster change of the channel. But they are difficult to escape during election season and the
2016 presidential election season won’t be much different. Political ads became much more
negative over the course of the 2012 presidential campaign. Erika Franklin Fowler, an assistant
professor of government, has noted that 2012 may be remembered for its record-setting
negativity. Fowler directs the Wesleyan Media Project, which monitors and analyzes televised
campaign ads and found that three-quarters of ads aired during the last presidential race
“appealed to anger.”

Warrant: Negative advertisements decrease turnout

Champion Briefs 246

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021
Spalding, Sarah. “Do Negative Campaign Ads Influence Campaigns Negatively?” University of
Kentucky Election Law Society, Nov. 2018,
https://www.uky.edu/electionlaw/analysis/do-negative-campaign-ads-influence-
campaigns-negatively.

Negative campaign advertising has been found to be effective in terms of influencing voter
preference, as well as turnout at the polls. That information does not come without
qualifiers. Negative advertising can be extremely powerful for voters, but part of that power
depends on who is espousing it. One commonly hears the phrase “paid for by the ____ for
____,” if one listens to the end of an attack ad or reads the fine print of a shiny flyer pulled from
the mailbox. The data shows that the ads produced by Political Action Committees (PACs) was
largely ineffective on voter psyche. Adversely, negative ads produced by the candidates
themselves actually had a positive effect on how voters made decisions. This is due to how
voters may view the credibility of the information being doled out. However, while the
aforementioned study looked at for whom voters polled, another found that negative
campaigns can actually affect whether or not citizens vote at all. Self-identified Republicans and
Independents viewed negative advertisements as persuasive, yet they decrease overall voter
turnout. This is especially polarizing for independents, who due to a less partisan allegiance,
are already less likely to vote.

Analysis: This is a good response because it takes into consideration something that the pro argument
neglects. That is the content of the advertisements themselves. Even if political advertisements are
good in the abstract, if most are negative, this might actually discourage people from taking part in
politics.

Champion Briefs 247

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social media increases youth political awareness

Answer: Empirically social media has not increased participation among the youth

Warrant: There is no statistically significant proof that social media affects youth participation

Wihbey, John, et al. “How Does Social Media Use Influence Political Participation and Civic
Engagement? A Meta-Analysis.” The Journalist’s Resource, 18 Oct. 2015,
https://journalistsresource.org/politics-and-government/social-media-influence-politics-
participation-engagement-meta-analysis/.

Among all of the factors examined, 82% showed a positive relationship between SNS use and
some form of civic or political engagement or participation. Still, only half of the relationships
found were statistically significant. The strongest effects could be seen in studies that
randomly sampled youth populations. The correlation between social-media use and election-
campaign participation “seems weak based on the set of studies analyzed,” while the
relationship with civic engagement is generally stronger. Further, “Measuring participation as
protest activities is more likely to produce a positive effect, but the coefficients are not more
likely to be statistically significant compared to other measures of participation.” Also, within
the area of protest activities, many different kinds of activities — marches, demonstrations,
petitions and boycotts — are combined in research, making conclusions less valid. When studies
do isolate and separate out these activities, these studies generally show that “social media
plays a positive role in citizens’ participation.” Overall, the data cast doubt on whether SNS use
“causes” strong effects and is truly “transformative.” Because few studies employ an
experimental design, where researchers could compare a treatment group with a control
group, it is difficult to claim causality.

Warrant: Social media does not actively cause increased youth political participation

Keating, Avril, and Gabriella Melis. “Social Media and Youth Political Engagement: Preaching to
the Converted or Providing a New Voice for Youth?” The British Journal of Politics and

Champion Briefs 248

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021
International Relations, vol. 19, no. 4, SAGE Publications, Nov. 2017, pp. 877–94. SAGE
Journals, doi:10.1177/1369148117718461.

Amidst concern about declining youth political engagement, it is often suggested that social
media can provide a solution to this challenge. In this article, however, we argue that these
online tools have not thus far mobilised a new audience to become engaged in either
institution-oriented activities or political expression. Instead, we found that some young
people are far more engaged in using social media for political purposes than others, and that a
substantial proportion of young adults never use social media for this purpose. Using latent class
analysis (LCA) of a unique web survey of young Britons aged 22–29, we show that the principal
driver of online political engagement is political interest (even after controlling for socio-
demographic characteristics). On this basis, we conclude that social media may be providing a
new outlet for some young adults; it is not re-engaging the young adults who have already
lost interest in politics.

Answer: Social media decreases quality of political participation

Warrant: Social media creates uniformity of opinions

College of Communication at Boston University. Do Social Media Influence Citizens’ Political

Participation? | Center for Mobile Communication Studies. 2018,
https://sites.bu.edu/cmcs/2018/11/17/do-social-media-influence-citizens-political-
participation/.

However, there are opposite opinions on the influence of social media on political participation.
According to a report “Social Media and the Spiral of silence,” social media such as Twitter and
Facebook has the adverse effect on the diversity of opinion and debate about public affairs
(Hampton et al, 2014). The findings indicate that in the Snowden case, social media did not
provide new forums for those who might otherwise remain silent to express their opinions
and debate issues. Further, if people thought their friends and followers in social media
disagreed with them, they were less likely to say they would state their views on the
Snowden-NSA story online and in other contexts, such as gatherings of friends, neighbors, or co-

Champion Briefs 249

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021
workers (Hampton et al, 2014). This research is based on the theory of the spiral of silence
originally proposed by German political scientist Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann in 1974, which is
meant to refer to the tendency that people are less likely to express their views If they believe
they might be different from those of their friends, family, and colleagues.

Warrant: Social media is driving political polarization

Brick, Cameron. “Are Social Media Driving Political Polarization?” Greater Good, 16 Jan. 2019,
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/is_social_media_driving_political_polariz
ation.

Why are we becoming more polarized? There are probably many reasons. Could social media
be driving polarization? Many people think so—and, indeed, Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter
have all become sites of ferocious political argument. While polarization definitely plays out on
social media, the evidence to date suggests that its impact is subtler than you might think. Social
media, it seems, amp up moral and emotional messages while organizing people into digital
communities based on tribal conflicts. This makes consensus building more difficult—but, as
we’ll discuss, it could also pave a more cooperative path forward.

Analysis: This is a good response because it shows that not all political participation is good.
Social media may appear to increase political participation even if it does not promote
beneficial participation. Instead, it might make politics more polarized and less conducive to
progress.

Champion Briefs 250

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social media increases voter turnout

Answer: Social media increases polarization

Warrant: Social media creates echo chambers which promotes polarization

Soergel, Andrew. “Is Social Media to Blame for Political Polarization in America?” US News &
World Report, 20 Mar. 2017, //www.usnews.com/news/articles/2017-03-20/is-social-
media-to-blame-for-political-polarization-in-america.

Cass Sunstein, a Harvard professor who has written extensively about polarization, wrote in a
recent book titled "Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media" that "to the extent that
social media allow us to create our very own feeds, and essentially live in them, they create
serious problems.” "Self-insulation and personalization are solutions to some genuine
problems, but they also spread falsehoods, and promote polarization and fragmentation," he
wrote. "Unplanned, unanticipated encounters are central to democracy itself. Such encounters
often involve topics and points of view that people have not sought out and perhaps find quite
irritating – but that might nevertheless change their lives in fundamental ways."

Warrant: Polarization reduces turnout among moderates

Pew Staff. “Political Polarization: Political Engagement and Activism.” Pew Research Center -
U.S. Politics & Policy, 12 June 2014,
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2014/06/12/section-5-political-engagement-
and-activism/.

Political engagement can take on many different forms, including voting, contributing money to
a candidate or political group, working or volunteering for a campaign, attending a campaign
event or contacting an elected official. But on every measure of engagement, political
participation is strongly related to ideology and partisan antipathy; those who hold consistently
liberal or conservative views, and who hold strongly negative views of the other political party,
are far more likely to participate in the political process than the rest of the nation. This results

Champion Briefs 251

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021
in a consistent “U-shaped” pattern, with higher levels of engagement on the right and left of
the ideological spectrum, and lower levels in the center. But the shape of the curve varies
across different types of participation. For example, when it comes to voting, the peak is much
higher on the right than on the left: 78% of those who are consistently conservative say they
always vote, compared with 58% of consistent liberals. But on both sides, the propensity to
vote falls among those whose ideological views are more mixed. At the center, just 39% of
those who hold a mix of liberal and conservative values describe themselves as regular voters.
That is half the rate of consistent conservatives.

Answer: Social media spreads fake news

Warrant: Social media allows trolls and bots to spread fake news

Andrews, Edmund. “How Fake News Spreads like a Real Virus.” Stanford School of Engineering, 9
Oct. 2019, https://engineering.stanford.edu/magazine/article/how-fake-news-spreads-
real-virus.

The so-called “power law'” of social media, a well-documented pattern in social networks,
holds that messages replicate most rapidly if they are targeted at relatively small numbers of
influential people with large followings. Researchers are also looking at the relative
effectiveness of trolls versus bots. Trammell says bots, which are automated programs that
masquerade as people, tend to be particularly good for spreading massive numbers of highly
emotional messages with little informational content. Think here of a message with the image
of Hillary Clinton behind bars and the words “Lock Her Up!” That kind of message will spread
rapidly within the echo chambers populated by those who already agree with the basic
sentiment. Bots have considerable power to inflame people who are already like-minded,
though they can be easier to detect and block than trolls. By contrast, trolls are typically real
people who spread provocative stories and memes. Trolls can be better at persuading people
who are less convinced and want more information.

Warrant: Social media enables the targeting of fake news to particular groups

Champion Briefs 252

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021
Hills, Thomas. “Information Overload Helps Fake News Spread, and Social Media Knows It.”
Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2020, doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1220-54.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/information-overload-helps-fake-news-
spread-and-social-media-knows-it/

Indeed, the political echo chambers on Twitter are so extreme that individual users' political
leanings can be predicted with high accuracy: you have the same opinions as the majority of
your connections. This chambered structure efficiently spreads information within a community
while insulating that community from other groups. In 2014 our research group was targeted by
a disinformation campaign claiming that we were part of a politically motivated effort to
suppress free speech. This false charge spread virally mostly in the conservative echo
chamber, whereas debunking articles by fact-checkers were found mainly in the liberal
community. Sadly, such segregation of fake news items from their fact-check reports is the
norm.

Analysis: This is a good response because it can act as a disadvantage that completely outweighs the
pro’s argument. Even if more people are voting in elections, this does not mean people remaking the
right choices. Instead, you can argue that it is more important for voters to be informed (even if there
are fewer) than for there to be more uninformed voters.

Champion Briefs 253

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social media improves social movements

Answer: Social media creates ineffective slacktivism

Warrant: Most Americans believe social media activism accomplishes little

Mclain, Colleeen. “Americans Think Social Media Can Help Build Movements, but Can Also Be a
Distraction.” Pew Research Center, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-
tank/2020/09/09/americans-think-social-media-can-help-build-movements-but-can-
also-be-a-distraction/. Accessed 9 Sept. 2020.

Social media platforms are important for political and social activists. But while most Americans
believe these platforms are an effective tool for raising awareness and creating sustained
movements, majorities also believe they are a distraction and lull people into believing they
are making a difference when they’re not, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
Overall, eight-in-ten Americans say social media platforms are very (31%) or somewhat (49%)
effective for raising public awareness about political or social issues, according to the survey of
U.S. adults conducted July 13-19. A similar share (77%) believes these platforms are at least
somewhat effective for creating sustained social movements.

Warrant: Slacktivism is protesting without accomplishing much

Muslic, Hanah. “What Is Slacktivism and Is It Even Helping?” Nonprofit Hub, 20 June 2017,
https://nphub.org/social-media/what-is-slacktivism-does-it-help/.

The United Nations has defined slacktivism as when people “support a cause by performing
simple measures” but “are not truly engaged or devoted to making a change.” Slacktivism
typically means taking to social media. It encompasses things like retweeting words of hope
after a national disaster or liking a charity’s Facebook page—as the study implies. However, it
can also include non-digital actions like wearing a ribbon on your shirt to bring awareness.
Slacktivism was born after the creation of social media and is often synonymous with viral

Champion Briefs 254

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021
movements. Since it is low-cost, low-risk and noncommittal, slacktivism makes engagement easy
for the public.

Answer: Social media promotes political polarization

Warrant: Social media increases political division

Molla, Rani. “Social Media Is Making a Bad Political Situation Worse.” Vox, 10 Nov. 2020,
https://www.vox.com/recode/21534345/polarization-election-social-media-filter-
bubble.

Ten years later, America is in the aftermath of a hyperpartisan presidential election in which
people not only disagree with those on the other side, they actively hate them. Different
parties are operating in what seem like different realities, with different sets of facts or at
least completely different reactions to those facts. Social media seems to be making a bad
situation worse. A divided America was on full display as record rates of voters turned out, in
part to vote their own guy in but, perhaps more trenchantly, to keep the other guy out. Biden
won by a close 4.6 million votes (so far) in an election with an expected turnout of 159 million
voters. Some of the political lessons we learned recently include that conspiracy theories have
real currency — fake news can spread faster than real facts on social media — and that if we
don’t agree on a shared reality, more mundane things like political compromise will remain out
of reach.

Warrant: Polarization has increased gridlock

Binder, Sarah A. “Polarized We Govern?” Brookings, 30 Nov. 1AD,

https://www.brookings.edu/research/polarized-we-govern/.

Recent legislative drama like last year’s shutdown debacle, coupled with Congress’s paltry
legislative records since 2011, has fueled the debate over whether U.S. national political system
is irreparably dysfunctional. In the new paper “Polarized We Govern?,” Sarah Binder finds that
levels of legislative gridlock have steadily risen over the past half-century. Today, 75 percent of

Champion Briefs 255

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021
the salient issues on Washington’s agenda are subject to legislative gridlock. The results of
Binder’s analysis confirm the media’s recent focus on the impact of polarized parties on
Congress’s ability to legislate. Recent congressional deadlock has been extremely costly, both
to the fiscal health of the country and to its citizens’ trust in their government. So long as
some degree of polarization is driven by sheer partisan team play–in which the opposition party
is more likely to object to proposals endorsed by the president—then extreme levels of
polarization will continue to lead to unprecedented levels of deadlock.

Analysis: This is a good response because it shows that even if more activism is going on, it
doesn't mean it is productive. If all activism on one side of the political spectrum is matched by
equally extreme activism on the other side, no progress is made. This ultimately leads to
gridlock and the pro cannot access any impact.

Champion Briefs 256

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social Media Increases Productive Debate

Answer: Social media is designed for surface-level, spur of the moment interactions. This trades
off with more meaningful dialogues.

Warrant: Social media alters our opportunity to communicate

Stacey Hankey. “How Social Media Affects Our Ability to Communicate” Thrive Global.
2019. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-social-media-affects-our-ability-to-
communicate/

“What method of communication allows you to learn more about another person: a
post on Facebook or a face-to-face conversation? We connect on a deeper, more
meaningful level when we converse with others personally, yet studies show an
increased dependency on social media. Why? Social media is a convenient way of
communicating, but it lessens the quality of the connection. Almost two-thirds of U.S.
adults admit they use social media to connect. Its rise to prominence changes our
ability to interact with others on a meaningful level. Our social skills are challenged to
the point that many now struggle to interact in traditional conversations. Before social
media, the ways in which we connected and how many people we reached were
limited. We depended on phone calls and face-to-face interactions to strengthen
relationships. On the upside, the latest technology provides endless ways to connect.
We can also reach more people than ever. The downside is the way we communicate
has also changed, challenging our ability to make meaningful connections.”

Warrant: Social media use increases the rate of anxiety

Champion Briefs 257

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

Stacey Hankey. “How Social Media Affects Our Ability to Communicate” Thrive Global.
2019. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-social-media-affects-our-ability-to-
communicate/

“One survey revealed that 74 percent of Millennials prefer conversing digitally rather
than in person. While this helps them communicate more efficiently, it diminishes
their communication effectiveness. The more people use digital communication, the
more interpersonal communication skills decline. Our need for rapid bits of
information replaces our ability to clearly express thoughts and ideas when speaking to
others. Consider how often you check your phone and social media updates. Our “fear
of missing out” has created bad habits that have rewired how we interact with each
other. This forces us to process more quickly and to crave more digital input. The more
we get, the more we require to feel satisfied.”

Warrant: Social media decreases the quality of communications

Stacey Hankey. “How Social Media Affects Our Ability to Communicate” Thrive Global.
2019. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-social-media-affects-our-ability-to-
communicate/

“From Twitter to text messaging, comments are limited to short one- or two-sentence
answers. While it’s helped us make messages brief and clear, it’s done so at the expense
of quality communication. Poor grammar is now commonplace, while abbreviations and
acronyms have become commonplace. People have become addicted to their devices. A
distressing 62 percent of people studied admit to using digital gadgets while with
others. They most likely have no clue that the quality of conversation and their ability to
meaningfully engage is affected. One study evaluated how mobile devices affect the
quality of face-to-face social interactions. Results found that conversations without
digital devices were far superior to those conducted while devices were present. It

Champion Briefs 258

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

also discovered that people in device-free conversations were better listeners and
more empathetic to those speaking. Another study revealed that the presence of
devices affected closeness, conversation quality and connection, especially when
more meaningful topics were being discussed.”

Warrant: Social media dialogue causes anxiety

Jessica Brown. “Is social media bad for you? The evidence and the unknowns.” BBC.
2018. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180104-is-social-media-bad-for-
you-the-evidence-and-the-unknowns

“People use social media to vent about everything from customer service to politics, but
the downside to this is that our feeds often resemble an endless stream of stress. In
2015, researchers at the Pew Research Center based in Washington DC sought to find
out if social media induces more stress than it relieves. In the survey of 1,800 people,
women reported being more stressed than men. Twitter was found to be a “significant
contributor” because it increased their awareness of other people’s stress.”

Impact: Social media can cause addiction, trading off with other forms of discussion

Jessica Brown. “Is social media bad for you? The evidence and the unknowns.” BBC.
2018. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180104-is-social-media-bad-for-
you-the-evidence-and-the-unknowns

“Despite the argument from a few researchers that tweeting may be harder to resist
than cigarettes and alcohol, social media addiction isn’t included in the latest diagnostic
manual for mental health disorders. That said, social media is changing faster than
scientists can keep up with, so various groups are trying to study
compulsive behaviours related to its use – for example, scientists from the Netherlands

Champion Briefs 259

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

have invented their own scale to identify possible addiction. And if social media
addiction does exist, it would be a type of internet addiction – and that is a classified
disorder. In 2011, Daria Kuss and Mark Griffiths from Nottingham Trent University in the
UK have analysed 43 previous studies on the matter, and conclude that social media
addiction is a mental health problem that “may” require professional treatment. They
found that excessive usage was linked to relationship problems, worse academic
achievement and less participation in offline communities, and found that those who
could be more vulnerable to a social media addiction include those dependent on
alcohol, the highly extroverted, and those who use social media to compensate for
fewer ties in real life.”

Analysis: The ability to have healthy, productive discussion is a cornerstone of democracy.

Make the case to the judge that this is in many ways a prerequisite to other rights and
democratic ideals such as voting.

Champion Briefs 260

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social Media Creates Spaces for Open Debate

Turn: Social Media creates echo chambers

Warrant: The social media effect silos discussion

Matteo Cinelli. “The echo chamber effect on social media.” PNAS. May 2021
https://www.pnas.org/content/118/9/e2023301118

“Social media may limit the exposure to diverse perspectives and favor the formation
of groups of like-minded users framing and reinforcing a shared narrative, that is, echo
chambers. However, the interaction paradigms among users and feed algorithms
greatly vary across social media platforms. This paper explores the key differences
between the main social media platforms and how they are likely to influence
information spreading and echo chambers’ formation. We perform a comparative
analysis of more than 100 million pieces of content concerning several controversial
topics (e.g., gun control, vaccination, abortion) from Gab, Facebook, Reddit, and
Twitter. We quantify echo chambers over social media by two main ingredients: 1)
homophily in the interaction networks and 2) bias in the information diffusion toward
like-minded peers. Our results show that the aggregation of users in homophilic clusters
dominate online interactions on Facebook and Twitter. We conclude the paper by
directly comparing news consumption on Facebook and Reddit, finding higher
segregation on Facebook.”

Warrant: Echo chambers essentially freeze debate

Matteo Cinelli. “The echo chamber effect on social media.” PNAS. May 2021
https://www.pnas.org/content/118/9/e2023301118

Champion Briefs 261

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

“According to group polarization theory (23), an echo chamber can act as a mechanism
to reinforce an existing opinion within a group and, as a result, move the entire group
toward more extreme positions. Echo chambers have been shown to exist in various
forms of online media such as blogs (24), forums (25), and social media sites (26⇓–28).
Some studies point out echo chambers as an emerging effect of human tendencies,
such as selective exposure, contagion, and group polarization (13, 23, 29⇓–31).
However, recently, the effects and the very existence of echo chambers have been
questioned (2, 27, 32). This issue is also fueled by the scarcity of comparative studies
on social media, especially concerning news consumption (33).."

Analysis: Make this response by telling the judge that it is not just about the quantity of
dialogue, but the nature of dialogue as well.

Answer: Social Media hurts democratic debates

Warrant: Social media fuels conspiracy theories

“Is Social Media Killing Democracy” University of Oxford. 2016.

https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/blog/is-social-media-killing-democracy/

“First, social algorithms allow fake news stories from untrustworthy sources to spread
like wildfire over networks of family and friends. Many of us just assume that there is
a modicum of truth-in-advertising. We expect this from advertisements for
commercial goods and services, but not from politicians and political parties.
Occasionally a political actor gets punished for betraying the public trust through their
misinformation campaigns. But in the United States “political speech” is completely
free from reasonable public oversight, and in most other countries the media
organizations and public offices for watching politicians are legally constrained, poorly
financed, or themselves untrustworthy. Research demonstrates that during the

Champion Briefs 262

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

campaigns for Brexit and the U.S. presidency, large volumes of fake news stories, false
factoids, and absurd claims were passed over social media networks, often by
Twitter’s highly automated accounts and Facebook’s algorithms..”

Warrant: Social Media weakens exposure to new information

“Is Social Media Killing Democracy” University of Oxford. 2016.

https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/blog/is-social-media-killing-democracy/

“Second, social media algorithms provide very real structure to what political
scientists often call “elective affinity” or “selective exposure”. When offered the choice
of who to spend time with or which organizations to trust, we prefer to strengthen our
ties to the people and organizations we already know and like. When offered a choice of
news stories, we prefer to read about the issues we already care about, from pundits
and news outlets we’ve enjoyed in the past. Random exposure to content is gone from
our diets of news and information. The problem is not that we have constructed our
own community silos — humans will always do that. The problem is that social media
networks take away the random exposure to new, high-quality information..”

Analysis: This response shows that even if there is news on social media, the content which
generates the most engagement is fake news. This has the deleterious effect of undermining
the type of civil discourse which sustains democracy.

Champion Briefs 263

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social Media Helps Connect Activists

Turn: Social Media hurts activists

Warrant: Social media creates slacktivists

“Activism Or Slacktivism? How Social Media Hurts And Helps Student Activism.” NPR.
January 2014. https://news.stlpublicradio.org/2014-01-02/activism-or-
slacktivism-how-social-media-hurts-and-helps-student-activism

“Slacktivism is a term for giving token support for a cause, like wearing a pin or
“liking” something on Facebook, without being willing to engage in more meaningful
support, like donating time or money. And with the presence of social media, being a
slacktivist is easier now than ever. A recent study from the University of British
Columbia found that when people participate in a form of public token support, they
aren't any more likely to participate in a form of more meaningful support in the future.
Someone who "likes" a cause on Facebook wouldn't be any more likely to donate in
the future than someone who had no exposure to the cause at all..”

Warrant: Slacktivism hurts activism

“Activism Or Slacktivism? How Social Media Hurts And Helps Student Activism.” NPR.
January 2014. https://news.stlpublicradio.org/2014-01-02/activism-or-
slacktivism-how-social-media-hurts-and-helps-student-activism

“Kirk Kristofferson is one of the authors of the study. “What we found is that the social
observability of the token support really impacted how likely consumers were to follow
up and provide real support for that charity," Kristofferson said. "We found that when
consumers gave public support, they were no more likely to provide more meaningful

Champion Briefs 264

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

support for the cause than if someone was just randomly asked for the larger request."
Studies have shown that when people support a cause with some effort, they’re more
likely to support a cause with an even larger effort in the future. For example,
someone who participates in a 5k run for a charity is more likely to donate in the
future than someone who has no familiarity with the cause at all or has done
something minimal like joining their page on Facebook."

Answer: Social Media is not effective for activism

Warrant: Effective protests require public spaces

Antonia Malchik. “The Problem With Social-Media Protests” The Atlantic. 2019.
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/05/in-person-protests-
stronger-online-activism-a-walking-life/578905/

“Effective protest requires not just the right of the people to gather, but accessible
public spaces in which gathering is possible and citizens who understand what those
rights are. “Public ‘streets and parks … [from] time out of mind, have been used for
purposes of assembly … Such use of the streets and public places has, from ancient
times, been a part of the privileges, immunities, rights, and liberties of citizens,’” stated
a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1939 that upheld the right to assemble on the public
streets, striking down a municipal requirement that such gatherings require a
previously obtained permit.”

Warrant: Digital technology does not have these same foundations

Antonia Malchik. “The Problem With Social-Media Protests” The Atlantic. 2019.
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/05/in-person-protests-
stronger-online-activism-a-walking-life/578905/

Champion Briefs 265

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

“Digital technology has opened up unimaginable worlds of access and connectivity,

but it has also brought into question its own role in undermining the foundations of
governments built by people, for people. The realities of face-to-face contact and in-
person mass protests, the tools of centuries of struggle for full citizenship and rights,
have become even more essential to grounding us as we navigate through a new era
of humans’ relationship with technology. New eras of protest will have to learn how to
combine the ease and speed of online connectivity with the long-term face-to-face
organizing that gives physical protest its strength and staying power.”

Analysis: This response shows that there are structural barriers to using social media for
activism which inhibits its effectiveness.

Champion Briefs 266

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social Media Helps Fundraising

Answer: Social Media is not good for fundraising

Warrant: Donations are not increasing

“How Social Media Affects the Annual Fund Revenues of Nonprofit Organizations”
Walden University. 2016.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3108&context=di
ssertations&httpsredir=1&referer=

“Data were collected through interviews with employees and constituents,

organizational social media analytics such as Facebook Insights, and a week of Facebook
and Twitter content. Data were coded inductively and analyzed using classical content
analysis. Results indicate that although both the organization constituents and
employees interviewed saw social media as a valuable tool to communicate
information, it was not having a direct, immediate effect on annual fund revenues.”

Warrant: Donations have gotten smaller

“How Social Media Affects the Annual Fund Revenues of Nonprofit Organizations”
Walden University. 2016.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3108&context=di
ssertations&httpsredir=1&referer=

“Nonprofit organizations largely depend on external resources from individual donors

“to survive, sustain themselves, and develop” (McGee & Donoghue, 2009, p. 367). Yet,
the fundraising environment is fierce with the number of organizations increasing at a
fast rate in the last several years (Pope, Isely, & Asamoa-Tutu, 2009). At the same time,

Champion Briefs 267

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

the number of donors and amounts of donations have been decreasing (Ford &
Merchant, 2010). Donations from individuals, as opposed to corporate, foundation, or
government gifts, continue to represent the main source from which funds are raised
(Knowles & Gomes, 2009; Ko, Gibson, & Kim, 2011). Merchant and Ford (2008) noted
that those donations are often smaller amounts.”

Turn: Social media makes it hard to generate traction for nonprofits

Warrant: Social media does not inpire people to action

“Activism Or Slacktivism? How Social Media Hurts And Helps Student Activism.” NPR.
January 2014. https://news.stlpublicradio.org/2014-01-02/activism-or-
slacktivism-how-social-media-hurts-and-helps-student-activism

“Slacktivism is a term for giving token support for a cause, like wearing a pin or “liking”
something on Facebook, without being willing to engage in more meaningful support,
like donating time or money. And with the presence of social media, being a slacktivist is
easier now than ever. A recent study from the University of British Columbia found
that when people participate in a form of public token support, they aren't any more
likely to participate in a form of more meaningful support in the future. Someone who
"likes" a cause on Facebook wouldn't be any more likely to donate in the future than
someone who had no exposure to the cause at all..”

Warrant: There is a trade-off between social media action and real life action

“Activism Or Slacktivism? How Social Media Hurts And Helps Student Activism.” NPR.
January 2014. https://news.stlpublicradio.org/2014-01-02/activism-or-
slacktivism-how-social-media-hurts-and-helps-student-activism

Champion Briefs 268

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

“Kirk Kristofferson is one of the authors of the study. “What we found is that the
social observability of the token support really impacted how likely consumers were
to follow up and provide real support for that charity," Kristofferson said. "We found
that when consumers gave public support, they were no more likely to provide more
meaningful support for the cause than if someone was just randomly asked for the
larger request." Studies have shown that when people support a cause with some
effort, they’re more likely to support a cause with an even larger effort in the future. For
example, someone who participates in a 5k run for a charity is more likely to donate in
the future than someone who has no familiarity with the cause at all or has done
something minimal like joining their page on Facebook."

Analysis: Use this response to show that the quality of nonprofit interaction has decreased,
even if engagement has gone up

Champion Briefs 269

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social Media Increases Information Available

Turn: Social Media is killing news

Warrant: The social media revenue model is unsustainable

Rick Webb. “Social Media is Killing the News.” Medium. 2017.

https://medium.com/s/which-half-is-wasted/social-media-is-killing-the-news-
ae91c4a1add8

“With the advent of payment systems developed by the platforms that paid out ad
revenue to news providers, there was now a financial incentive to write news stories
that performed well on the social platforms. Historically a publication looked at this
problem holistically: the advertising revenue from the whole publication funded the
whole publication. A newspaper would provide coverage on less popular topics (zoning
laws, city council meetings, perhaps) funded by the more popular topics (local news,
business news, sports). The goal was to make a publication that had a total “good”
economic value less than the “bad” economic value of the advertising consumed..”

Warrant: News is being replaced by sensationalism

“An Evaluation of the Ethics of Presumed Consent.” Organ Procurement and

Transplantation Network. May 1993
https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/resources/ethics/an-evaluation-of-the-ethics-
of-presumed-consent/.

“Furthermore, with budget cuts in the newsroom, and social media close at hand,
journalists have less time to source and confirm stories. This means they are more
prone to sourcing stories off of social media (Twitter in particular). And the intense

Champion Briefs 270

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

competition for the dribbling of ad dollars from Facebook means that there is
increased pressure to get a sensational story out first. This has made traditional media
more error prone, as standards slowly erode in the face of economic shortfall. They are
then, rightly, condemned for propagating fake news, and the cycle continues."

Answer: People do not get useful information from social media

Warrant: Americans get misinformation from social media

Chris Meserole. “How misinformation spreads on social media—And what to do about

it” Brookings. 2019. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-
chaos/2018/05/09/how-misinformation-spreads-on-social-media-and-what-to-
do-about-it/

“The flow of misinformation on Twitter is thus a function of both human and technical
factors. Human biases play an important role: Since we’re more likely to react to
content that taps into our existing grievances and beliefs, inflammatory tweets will
generate quick engagement. It’s only after that engagement happens that the
technical side kicks in: If a tweet is retweeted, favorited, or replied to by enough of its
first viewers, the newsfeed algorithm will show it to more users, at which point it will
tap into the biases of those users too—prompting even more engagement, and so on.
At its worse, this cycle can turn social media into a kind of confirmation bias machine,
one perfectly tailored for the spread of misinformation.”

Warrant: Fake content gets boosted by algorithms

Chris Meserole. “How misinformation spreads on social media—And what to do about

it” Brookings. 2019. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-

Champion Briefs 271

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

chaos/2018/05/09/how-misinformation-spreads-on-social-media-and-what-to-
do-about-it/

“If you look at Fatah’s tweets, the process above plays out almost to a tee. A small
subset of Fatah’s followers immediately engaged with the tweet reporting a
bystander’s account of the attacker as “angry” and “Middle Eastern,” which set off a
cycle in which greater engagement begat greater viewership and vice versa. By
contrast, the tweet that accurately identified the attacker received little initial
engagement, was flagged less by the newsfeed algorithm, and thus never really
caught on. The result is the graph above, which shows an exponential increase in
engagement for the inaccurate tweet, but only a modest increase for the accurate
one.”

Analysis: This response shows that even if there is news on social media, the content which
generates the most engagement is fake news.

Champion Briefs 272

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

A/2: Social media fights misinformation

Answer: Social media is bad for democracy because propagates fake news which can be
destructive to democracy.

Warrant: Social media accelerates destructive ideas

FILIPPO MENCZER. “Information Overload Helps Fake News Spread, and Social Media
Knows It” Scientific American.
2020. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/information-overload-helps-
fake-news-spread-and-social-media-knows-it/#sa_body

“Making matters worse, search engines and social media platforms provide
personalized recommendations based on the vast amounts of data they have about
users' past preferences. They prioritize information in our feeds that we are most
likely to agree with—no matter how fringe—and shield us from information that
might change our minds. This makes us easy targets for polarization. Nir Grinberg and
his co-workers at Northeastern University recently showed that conservatives in the U.S.
are more receptive to misinformation. But our own analysis of consumption of low-
quality information on Twitter shows that the vulnerability applies to both sides of the
political spectrum, and no one can fully avoid it.”

Warrant: Social media propagates conformity

FILIPPO MENCZER. “Information Overload Helps Fake News Spread, and Social Media
Knows It” Scientific American.
2020. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/information-overload-helps-
fake-news-spread-and-social-media-knows-it/#sa_body

Champion Briefs 273

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

“Such social conformity is pervasive. In a fascinating 2006 study involving 14,000 Web-
based volunteers, Matthew Salganik, then at Columbia University, and his colleagues
found that when people can see what music others are downloading, they end up
downloading similar songs. Moreover, when people were isolated into “social”
groups, in which they could see the preferences of others in their circle but had no
information about outsiders, the choices of individual groups rapidly diverged. But the
preferences of “nonsocial” groups, where no one knew about others' choices, stayed
relatively stable. In other words, social groups create a pressure toward conformity so
powerful that it can overcome individual preferences, and by amplifying random early
differences, it can cause segregated groups to diverge to extremes.”

Warrant: Social media tricks people into believing low quality information

FILIPPO MENCZER. “Information Overload Helps Fake News Spread, and Social Media
Knows It” Scientific American.
2020. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/information-overload-helps-
fake-news-spread-and-social-media-knows-it/#sa_body

“. We confuse popularity with quality and end up copying the behavior we

observe. Experiments on Twitter by Bjarke Mønsted and his colleagues at the Technical
University of Denmark and the University of Southern California indicate that
information is transmitted via “complex contagion”: when we are repeatedly exposed
to an idea, typically from many sources, we are more likely to adopt and reshare it.
This social bias is further amplified by what psychologists call the “mere exposure”
effect: when people are repeatedly exposed to the same stimuli, such as certain faces,
they grow to like those stimuli more than those they have encountered less often..”

Warrant: False rumors spread faster than true information

Champion Briefs 274

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

Sara Brown “MIT Sloan research about social media, misinformation, and elections.”
MIT Sloan. 2021. https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/mit-sloan-
research-about-social-media-misinformation-and-elections

“False rumors spread faster and wider than true information, according to a 2019
study published in Science by MIT Sloan professor Sinan Aral and Deb Roy and
Soroush Vosoughi of the MIT Media Lab. They found falsehoods are 70% more likely
to be retweeted on Twitter than the truth, and reach their first 1,500 people six times
faster. This effect is more pronounced with political news than other categories. Bots
spread true and false information at the same rates, the researchers found, so people
are the ones hitting retweet on false information. One potential reason: the novelty
hypothesis, which found that people are drawn to information that is novel and
unusual, as false news often is. (Not that bots don’t play a role in spreading
misinformation — in fact, they can easily manipulate people’s opinions.)”

Warrant: Misinformation can be directly destructive to democracy

Sara Brown“MIT Sloan research about social media, misinformation, and elections.” MIT
Sloan. 2021. https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/mit-sloan-
research-about-social-media-misinformation-and-elections

“Some misinformation comes from politicians — and it might help them get votes.
Under certain circumstances, people appreciate a candidate who tells obvious lies,
even seeing that candidate as more “authentic,” according to research co-authored by
Ezra Zuckerman Sivan, an associate dean and professor at MIT Sloan. A norm-breaking
candidate who tells lies appeals to aggrieved constituencies because those voters see
norms as illegitimately imposed by the establishment. The paper was co-authored
by Minjae Kim, PhD '18 and assistant professor at Rice University, and Oliver Hahl,
PhD '13 and and assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon. Attaching warnings to social

Champion Briefs 275

Con Responses to Pro Arguments June 2021

media posts that feature information disputed by fact-checkers can backfire. A study by
Rand and his co-authors outlined a potential downfall to labeling misinformation online:
the “implied truth effect,” where people assume all information without a label is true.
As a result, false headlines that fail to get tagged, or aren’t tagged quickly, could be
taken as truth. Attaching verifications to some true headlines could be a possible fix.”

Analysis: Social media spreads fake news. Make the case that fake news can have election-
swinging outcomes, a deathblow for democracy.

Champion Briefs 276