In our rapidly evolving digital landscape, the United States confronts new and critical challenges. Facing adversaries who view their digital influence strategies as tools to challenge America’s global leadership, we are reminded that this struggle is perceived as a zero-sum game, with their rise seemingly predicated on our decline. Particularly in this contentious election year, these forces will intensify efforts to undermine trust in our democratic institutions by exploiting vulnerabilities to sow discord and weaken our democratic processes. These threats are multifaceted and include sophisticated disinformation campaigns, exploitation of social media, and the acquisition of personal data to fuel adversarial machine learning algorithms, all set against the backdrop of a stark decline in respectful political debate.
Our response must be proactive, visionary, and rooted in our core values. Yet, how can we achieve any sort of unity when the country is deeply divided and lacks a shared understanding of American values? A robust approach to civics education, tailored for the digital age, would be a good place to start. This new civics education should integrate comprehensive digital literacy, equipping citizens to navigate and secure the information landscape that has become a battleground of ideologies and influences.
Disinformation has long existed, but its explosive rise and broad reach in the digital age necessitates that digital literacy be intertwined with robust civics education. Our adversaries use digital tools to drive fissures in our society and exploit divisions already created by our self-imposed echo chambers, fueled by ever more narrowly focused online news and social media feeds. This contributes to a society increasingly incapable of engaging with opposing views without attacking a person rather than an issue.
To counteract this, we must advocate for a civics curriculum that transcends traditional learning, encompassing a thorough understanding of digital platforms and their manipulative potential, as well as the ability to critically assess the deluge of information encountered daily. Such education will empower citizens to better discern truth from falsehood and engage responsibly and respectfully in the digital world—a strategic imperative to strengthen our democracy from within.
Moreover, our national digital strategy must contrast sharply with the dystopian models presented by digital autocracies that promote themselves as the new global standard for stability and order. Our strategy should underscore how technology can support and empower a society that upholds democratic values such as freedom of speech and individual liberty, enabling all citizens to engage in respectful and productive dialogue. We must create digital spaces that foster democratic engagement rather than rancorous misinformation battles.
However, given the venomous acrimony and turmoil evident today, it’s clear we lack a common set of values for organizing healthy, respectful debate. Reinforcing civics education, so often devalued over decades of educational reforms, can begin to address this sad state of affairs.
Additionally, our strategy must prioritize safeguarding our digital infrastructure to prevent the weaponization of personal data by adversaries. In essence, we, as a country, are providing the very fuel (data) that powers adversarial machine learning algorithms designed to undermine our own country. This must stop. Strengthening cybersecurity measures and enacting stringent data protection laws are crucial to protecting our national sovereignty and individual privacy. Recent executive and legislative efforts have been steps in the right direction, but more work remains to be done.
This election year also underscores the urgent need to rebuild trust in our institutions. With both sides of the political spectrum expressing mistrust in those institutions, our adversaries are eager to exploit every fracture. Understanding and reaffirming the core principles of our government is vital. Sadly, a significant portion of the American public lacks even basic knowledge of our governmental structure, negatively impacting civic engagement and trust in government. It’s perhaps no surprise then that cynicism and cancel culture have flourished in this vacuum where citizens no longer understand or trust the legislative process to address their policy concerns. Integrating civics education that highlights both the structure and value of our democratic system is imperative for restoring faith in our institutions.
The success of our nation in the digital age hinges, in part, on our ability to unify behind a shared vision of the future, something we as a nation have lost in recent years. We must find a way to rise above increasingly sharp partisan divisions and reaffirm our commitment to foundational principles. Despite past and present difficulties, our history shows we can improve as we strive to embody the ideals of democracy, freedom, and equality. These principles must be more than abstract virtues; they should be actionable mandates guiding our interactions in both physical and digital realms.
The challenges are daunting but not insurmountable. With a renewed commitment to civics education that embraces digital literacy as part of a comprehensive national digital strategy, and a steadfast dedication to democratic principles, we can navigate this digital era’s complexities and emerge stronger, more united, and resilient against those outside forces who seek to undermine our society. All of this will take time, of course, and cannot be achieved within an election cycle, but we must start somewhere. So, prepare for a rough several months as we approach the presidential election. And remember, the more Americans attack each other this election year, the more our adversaries in places like Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran will see such discord as proof of their digital influence strategies’ effectiveness.
