Information Cascades Shed Light on Injustices
While this is not necessarily a recent article, I find that it is one that is nonetheless pertinent. In particular, this Financial Times piece from 2017 chronicles the idea that the digital age allows for widespread information cascades, in this instance, specific to disseminating counts of sexual harassment.
In the past, women often chose not to disclose sexual harassment in the workplace or in the entertainment industry, due to painstaking bureaucratic processes and the slow handling of evidence and information. Because of this, serial repeaters could often get away with their actions as it could more easily be kept under wraps, or was at least not shared widely and reported on a large-scale. With the inception of social media and the networks that come with it, information is available almost immediately. Someone can send a tweet, create a Facebook post, or even just send a private text message, and suddenly the information is out there and ready to be spread. This is not just specific to cases of sexual harassment, however, but is also relevant in many industries.
For example, the definition of an information cascade includes the “social phenomenon where people make decisions purely based on the choices made by others, thus in effect ignoring any personal information that they may possess about a certain situation.” If bad press is released, people may begin to make up their minds about a company whether it is true, false, or warranted to the degree. This was evident in the situation when a man refused to give up his seat on an overbooked United Airlines flight and was forcibly removed. The airline lost around $1 billion in their stock due to the rapid press and social media coverage placing them in the wrong. Through extensive digital reparations, they were able to regain the trust of some consumers, regaining $75o million. However, it is clear to see how the information cascade played a role in this instance.
I find it interesting to see such relevant applications to coursework in the news and in everyday life, especially dealing with such important topics. As referenced in the article, this newfound information cascade through social media is “a watershed moment in American history,” and I agree.
https://www.ft.com/content/6973e6d6-d047-11e7-9dbb-291a884dd8c6
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/what-is-information-cascade-in-sociology/article25280344.ece