From Facts to Fiction:

How Our 24/7 Information Overload Is Breaking Reality

Do you remember when we used to argue about how to interpret facts? Now, we’ve reached a point where we can’t even agree on what constitutes a fact.

Welcome to the crisis peak of our 24/7 digital feed—a relentless stream of algorithmically curated information to compound our biases for the sake of advertising revenue, that’s outpacing our ability to process, fact-check, or even differentiate between truth and fabrication.

The sheer volume of data, often emotionally charged and manipulated or flat-out made up in an enthusiastic major candidate’s stump speech filled with either hyperbole or gaslighting tactics to be clipped into a 15-second soundbite for one of the corporate-run news entertainment channels, fuels endless debates about reality itself.

So how did we get here? And what can we do about it to save productive public discourse we must, and preserve the American Democratic Republic from an uninformed electorate that no longer has easy direct access to the data it needs to make an informed decision?

The Age of Exponential Information—and Disinformation

We live in a world where the boundaries between truth and fiction blur faster than ever before. The rise of social media, combined with 24-hour news cycles, has given us unparalleled access to uncover hidden truths about our society through citizen journalism, social sharing, and while simultaneously having to swallow the pill of giving propagandists more power than ever. The blessing and curse of every two-sided coin scenario such as this, say we can’t have one benefit without the other cost.

With a few clicks, misinformation of all kinds can spread like wildfire, often shared based on how it makes us feel rather than whether it’s true. I am guilty of this as much as anyone reading it. Facts matter as much if not more than feelings, but are hard to trust because they seem harder to find. Whereas feelings are easy and rapidly easy to deploy, especially when there is an audience that might give us a dopamine spike with their “like”.

In this new environment, fact-checking—once the bedrock of journalistic integrity-has become an extremely difficult task. The speed of content creation far exceeds our ability to verify it. Worse, attempts to correct misinformation often reinforce the original falsehoods, solidifying them in people’s minds. It's not just a race to report anymore—it's a race to confirm what is true in real-time as the complexity around us compounds daily.

The Rise of "Supermemes" in Our Society

This brings us to a concept my friend Rebecca Costa introduced in her 2011 book The Watchman’s Rattle: supermemes. Supermemes are cultural ideas that emerge when our ability to manufacture complexity outpaces our biological and cognitive capacity to solve the problems we create. One of the most dangerous supermemes she identified looking at other historical periods of collapse in societies, Costa argues, is the replacement of fact with belief.

We see this happening everywhere today. Whether it’s political debates, social issues, or economic theories, people are more likely to cling to their beliefs than engage with inconvenient facts. In an age where belief systems and identity politics have replaced a shared understanding of reality, facts have become malleable (which is the opposite of the definition of a fact), and any effort to confront misinformation is met with emotional pushback, or even more dangerous, an authoritarian-style attack on our First Amendment right to free speech so that the authoritarian can supposedly “save” democracy for us from the bad propagandists.

But without a common foundation of truth, our society risks breaking down. How can we make collective decisions—about politics, health, the environment—if we can’t agree on a baseline reality?

Building a "Town Hall" for Facts

Imagine, for a moment, that we could all agree on a baseline set of facts—a shared foundation from which to begin our debates. It would be like returning to the metaphorical "center of town," where we could gather to discuss real issues based on a common understanding of reality.

But in today’s information ecosystem, where do we find that baseline? Fortunately, there are efforts underway to create such platforms. One promising non-partisan initiative is Steve Ballmer’s non-profit, USAFacts.org, which aims to provide a user-friendly, non-partisan way to access data directly from government sources.

USAFacts.org offers a portal to real numbers—whether you're looking for data on healthcare, crime rates, or economic trends. It's an attempt to cut through the noise and allow anyone—regardless of political leaning—to see the raw data and form their own, fact-based opinions. It's a small but vital step toward rebuilding trust in information.

Here are two relevant and recent examples about the “facts” about our Federal Budget and Economy.

Why This Matters Now More Than Ever

As we face a future defined by more information, not less, the ability to navigate this chaotic landscape will define our ability to solve real problems. We can’t afford to argue over what reality is. We need reliable, accessible, and transparent data sources to build consensus—and organizations like USAFacts.org are a good place to start.

My Call to Action for Us All-

”If it is to be it starts with me” ~ William H Johnsen

The question for each of us is: Can we collectively agree to start looking at the facts before jumping to conclusions, or will we let supermemes continue to drive us apart?

In a world where the truth is under constant assault, the fight isn’t just for facts—it’s for the survival of reason itself.

Have a great Monday!