With the recent Joe Rogan Experience episode featuring the long-awaited guest, former US President Donald Trump attaining 37 million views, and counting in just a couple of days, it has once again sparked the conversation regarding the influence these alternative media platforms are having on the general public opinion.

Of course, the episode referenced above will have a special impact based on the political circumstances of the country, though we will be taking a more general approach on platforms as a whole, and the power that some of the so-called influencers carry due to their online followings.

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The Rising Tide of Digital Influence

The scale of modern social media platforms has reached unprecedented levels. To put things into perspective, YouTube alone boasts over 2.7 billion monthly active users as of 2024, while platforms like TikTok have surpassed 1.5 billion users globally. These numbers aren’t just statistics – they represent a fundamental shift in how information is consumed and processed by the general public.

What’s particularly notable is the demographic evolution of these platforms. While social media was once dominated by younger generations, recent data shows a significant shift in user demographics. According to Pew Research, the percentage of adults aged 50-64 using social media has increased from 24% in 2012 to over 73% in recent years. This broad demographic reach means that social media influencers are no longer just speaking to young audiences – they’re shaping discussions across all age groups.

This leads to alternative media platforms being taken more seriously by the general public. What may have once been a rather easily dismissible source of information due to the lack of trust in creators and their understanding of various topics, is not beginning to gain more and more credibility as the older demographics get exposed to the content. 

Even ignoring the numbers for a second, and looking at individual creators, we have people like Destiny who have broken into the traditional media scene, going on shows such as Piers Morgan and debating some of the more mainstream pundits on nationally televised shows. Quite a long journey for a creator who began his career by streaming video games to a small audience. 

Of course, political discourse is not the only form of content that gains a lot of traction, as most platforms have a wide variety of options often catering to different demographics. A lot of these demographics, are rather young, raising potential concerns amongst various groups.

The Echo Chamber Effect and Algorithm Impact

We did mention the variety of content available on the platforms, but how likely is it for a user to experience this variety, and not be stuck with one particular stream of videos? The way the algorithms typically work is they provide content based on what they understand a particular user is interested in. 

Of course, aside from these interests being incredibly diverse, they are also often unrelated. Even if the content exists on completely separate ends of the entertainment spectrum, say watching online gambling slot machine gameplay, or exploring recipes, and whatnot, the algorithm will have no trouble picking up both and providing the appropriate desired value, whether it is through casino games or food recipes.

In other words, if an individual consumes gambling-related content regularly, their recommended feed will be filled with appropriate content. Things can get even more specific, as the algorithm can pick up if a user favors a certain type of game, like in the example above, online casino slots, and react accordingly.

However, this does not mean that the videos provided are going to be limited to a singular type. Apart from gambling-adjacent videos this hypothetical viewer would get recommended, they will not only have other fields of interest, and therefore a more diverse feed, but they may also get gambling-related videos that are not necessarily positive or negative, as the algorithm does not care about the specifics of the content, and more-so about how it is performing from a views number perspective.

This means that while the threat of having echo chambers that exclusively reinforce the already established positions is real, an open-minded person can get out if they are simply willing to hear out differing perspectives that are popping up on their recommended page and make informed decisions on their own afterward. Still, not everything will be ideal and there will be plenty of people getting radicalized to certain positions.

In addition, drama sells, and with that comes a threat of misinformation being widespread to unknowing consumers. A somewhat recent MIT study false news stories are 70% more likely to be retweeted than true stories, and that true stories take about six times as long to reach 1,500 people as false stories do. This viral nature of sensational content, combined with algorithmic content distribution, can significantly impact public opinion formation.

These downsides, while potentially problematic, are a consequence of having free speech, and are not necessarily issues exclusive to the alternative media. In fact, one could argue that with traditional networks, things are worse, since you do not have the diversity of the content stream, and the channels chosen typically push one specific kind of content that they know resonates with their audiences.

As we look to the future, the influence of social media on public opinion shows no signs of diminishing. If anything, it’s likely to increase as platforms become more sophisticated and their user bases continue to grow. The key challenge for society will be learning to navigate this new information landscape while maintaining the ability to distinguish fact from fiction and thoughtful analysis from viral sensationalism.