The marketplace of ideas is now irrelevant

The marketplace of ideas was conceived in the late nineteenth century, a period characterised by a growing demand for government accountability. Government coercion and suppression were viewed with suspicion by a free and educated public.affairs</> The theory considers society as a rational mass. Theories and philosophies are laid out before discerning citizens, who in turn consider the pros and cons of all ideas they are presented with. If this concept was idealistic at its birth, it is ridiculous in the internet age. It cannot hold up in virtual environments where algorithms and moderator biases are the major determinants of what the public sees online.^[1] The online experience is built to improve the user experience, maximize traffic and revenue. In practice, this fragments society, with an online economy built on securing echo chambers and presenting users with information that makes them feel they are right. In this environment, opinions are validated in a virtual feedback loop. The internet discourages individuals from questioning their beliefs, rewards confirmation bias, and contributes to the spread of misinformation.

[P1] The market approach assumes that citizens will accept and adopt ideas that are true and reject falsehoods. [P2] The market approach assumes that the ideas on offer are based in fact. [P3] The market approach assumes that citizens are completely grounded in logic rather than world view. [P4] Government censorship has been replaced in part by mob censorship backed by the government and corporations.