LOL

A couple of generations from now, researchers will bend their brains trying to answer how the "Information Age" managed to make so many people willfully ignorant...There will probably be entire university departments dedicated to it...

The internet makes it very easy, fast and cheap to publish content, and search for that content. Which is very cool, except for the loophole that the content doesn't actually have to be reality based. So people can also publish and search content that feeds their confirmation bias.

The babbling of Humanity, for good and for bad.

... and only hear strawman, caricatured version of the views from 'the other side'

It's a shame we're segregating ourselves like that. I've seen it divide several families, and it seems to divide the country further and further.

I'm aware of my own inclinations in this regard and try to minimise it, but I'm guilty of it too.

The loss of the Fairness Doctrine was probably the biggest reason for this.

"Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet has free access to the sum of all human knowledge. That’s where we’re headed. And with your help, we will get there." -- Jimmy Wales

Actually, Jimbo is wrong. We'll never get there, at least not all the way there; Wikipedia will never be finished. But we can come pretty close.

Now, how do we do that part about "a world where people actually care about facts"? Sorry, I got nothin'.

"The Zionists are trying to destroy the white race by mixing us!!!one!1!!!
"Global warming is a hoax! 'Cuz Monckton said so, and he's a British Lord, so d'ere!"
"Climate change will kill us all! We are doooooooommmmedddd!"
"We must stop consuming & kill the economy to save the planet!!"
"Dubya Bush wuz a reptillyun!!!"
"The Mexicans want to annex the Southwest to Aztlan! We're gonna be slaves!"
"Congress is run by Satanists. I read it in a Texe Marrs book."

And, a real classic line of hogwash:

"Obama's gonna take awr gunz! Glenn Beck told me so, maw. Less' git moar gunz before they drag us to da FEMA camps dat that Jones fella wuz talking about!"