Wi-Fi and Social Media Finally Gave the Village Idiot a Megaphone

Invasion of the Idiots: Umberto Eco Predicted the Apocalypse — It Just Logged In

For centuries, public discourse had filters. Newspapers had editors. Publishers relied on fact-checking. If you wanted to publish a medical claim, you needed proof. If you wanted to shape public opinion, you needed credibility. If you spread falsehoods, there were consequences.

Suddenly, anyone could reach millions. A teenager posting from a bedroom had the same platform as a seasoned academic. A conspiracy theorist could attract as much attention as a journalist who had spent months verifying facts. And the most extreme voices traveled fastest. Social media platforms do not reward accuracy. They reward engagement. Anger, fear, and absolute certainty spread better than nuance. A careful post explaining that an issue is complex and deserves thoughtful consideration rarely goes far.

We are living in the world he feared. The problem was never that foolish voices appeared. They were always present. The problem is that they are now amplified while expertise is dismissed.