Digital immediacy and reliance on consuming information marked by speed and convenience has denaturalised our inquisitive drive for context. Mass media in all forms including platforms such as X (formerly known as Twitter), TikTok, and others have revolutionised the way we interact with news, opinions, the arts, and each other. Bite-sized content, while offering undeniable benefits in accessibility, brings with it a significant caveat: the erosion of context. As we navigate this mass of truncated narratives, it’s worth asking ourselves about the impact this has on our critical reasoning, public discourse, and collective consciousness. Do we get our quick fix of information and then go on to research it in more detail to see what it means, where it comes from and the context within which it is written, issued and read?
The erosion of context
Context is the backbone of comprehension yet it has always been a sticking point in information circulation particularly when there are significant competing interests at stake. Do we always know everything that there is to know about why certain decisions are made by businesses or political groups or even friends? Academic studies and analysis often serves to help us understand and explain the behaviour of others and the reason behind occurences and events. Context transforms raw data, for example, into meaningful insights, allowing us to grasp not just the “what” but the “why” and “how.” For example, without context we may not have an awareness of that there are gaps in education that have led to pain killers being issued in greater numbers to white populations rather than to other groups (see for example, Hoffman et al. 2016). Yet, in our digital dialogues, this crucial element of context often finds itself sidelined. Information is presented in isolation, a fragment detached from its broader narrative. This detachment not only impoverishes our understanding but also shapes our judgments and actions in ways that may not align with a more nuanced reality and it impairs our quest for the truth.
The consequences of a contextual void
Without context, our judgments are made in a vacuum, leading to a plethora of unintended consequences:
- The criminalisation of musical expressions: Consider the genre of drill music, often spotlighted in media discussions and legal systems for its alleged links to violence – the genre is decontextualised from the narrative of art, history and music development across different communities and modes of expression, we have essentially criminalised an entire art form. This not only stifles creativity but also marginalises communities, ignoring actual issues that need addressing. Without contextualisation we also attribute criminalisation to a specific genre yet do not use the same lens for other genres or art forms from other communities. A good evaluation of the consequences of this can be found in the work of Adèle Oliver (2023).
- Manufactured shame and misdirected reprisals: In the age of social media, individuals often face public shaming and reprisals based on decontextualized snippets of their actions or words. This rush to judgment, lacking a full appreciation of the circumstances, can have devastating effects on lives and careers. It underscores a worrying trend towards ‘trial by social media,’ where the complexity of human behaviour is reduced to binary likes or dislikes and the subtle nuances of what happened are lost in the barrage of singular decontextualised opinions. Is this how we actually like our information? Packaged without context beyond quick consumption? Is this notion of speed really beneficial to how we learn and understand each other and our world?
Rethinking our approach to information
This context-deficient mode of engagement prompts a critical question: Are we becoming less patient and more demanding of information that fits neatly into our preconceived notions? The risk is a populace less inclined to delve deeper, to question further, or to empathise with differing perspectives. Our expectations of information, shaped by the norms of rapid digital exchange, may be leading us away from the comprehensive understanding that forms the bedrock of meaningful discourse and informed decision-making.
Fostering a context-rich information environment is a collective responsibility. It starts with education, emphasising critical thinking and media literacy from an early age. It extends to each of us, in our personal and professional interactions, to seek, share, and celebrate context. By slowing down, even slightly, we can begin to appreciate the vast landscape of understanding that context provides. If we commit to valuing the ‘full story’, to finding out about context and keeping more informed we benefit from the actual increase in knowledge and informed debate.
References
Hoffman KM, Trawalter S, Axt JR, Oliver MN (2016) ‘Racial bias in pain assessment and treatment recommendations, and false beliefs about biological differences between blacks and whites’, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Apr 19;113(16):4296-301.
Oliver, A. (2023) Deeping It: Colonialism, Culture & Criminalisation of UK Drill: 18 Inklings, GB: 404 Ink Limited.
King Advisory 