Matthew Facciani
@matthewfacciani.bsky.social
Social Scientist studying misinformation, media literacy, & AI.
Author of Misguided: https://amzn.to/48zTs59
https://matthewfacciani.substack.com
www.matthewfacciani.com
Author of Misguided: https://amzn.to/48zTs59
https://matthewfacciani.substack.com
www.matthewfacciani.com
Renée DiResta explains how influencers, algorithms, and online crowds create self-contained “bespoke realities” that let people curate their own customized version of the world.
November 25, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Renée DiResta explains how influencers, algorithms, and online crowds create self-contained “bespoke realities” that let people curate their own customized version of the world.
A new paper shows how social media accelerates extremism by flooding users with emotionally charged, divisive content that algorithms naturally amplify, making extremist narratives far more visible, engaging, and persuasive than they would be otherwise.
November 24, 2025 at 8:00 PM
A new paper shows how social media accelerates extremism by flooding users with emotionally charged, divisive content that algorithms naturally amplify, making extremist narratives far more visible, engaging, and persuasive than they would be otherwise.
New poll finds just 18% of Americans "embrace" AI, with 49% saying they reject it.
November 24, 2025 at 3:06 PM
New poll finds just 18% of Americans "embrace" AI, with 49% saying they reject it.
My book just got its first Goodreads review. I’m so glad readers are finding it accessible! My goal was to simply explain the social science of why we’re vulnerable to misinformation, and what we can do about it.
November 22, 2025 at 12:18 AM
My book just got its first Goodreads review. I’m so glad readers are finding it accessible! My goal was to simply explain the social science of why we’re vulnerable to misinformation, and what we can do about it.
Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, has repeatedly produced over-the-top praise for Musk—at one point even claiming he’s more athletic than LeBron James.
November 21, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, has repeatedly produced over-the-top praise for Musk—at one point even claiming he’s more athletic than LeBron James.
Bluesky has verified me! I didn’t even know that was a thing, but I’m glad to be officially real on here.
November 20, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Bluesky has verified me! I didn’t even know that was a thing, but I’m glad to be officially real on here.
Measles cases hit a 25-year high in 2025, and most were among unvaccinated people. Despite this, 84% of Americans still say the MMR vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks, only slightly below the 88% who said the same in 2016.
November 19, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Measles cases hit a 25-year high in 2025, and most were among unvaccinated people. Despite this, 84% of Americans still say the MMR vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks, only slightly below the 88% who said the same in 2016.
I had such a great time speaking in New York for the latest Group of Informed Voices event! I covered how we can promote our psychological, media, and scientific literacy.
November 19, 2025 at 10:38 PM
I had such a great time speaking in New York for the latest Group of Informed Voices event! I covered how we can promote our psychological, media, and scientific literacy.
A rare moment of bipartisan agreement: about half of both Republicans (50%) and Democrats (51%) say they’re more concerned than excited about the growing role of AI in daily life.
November 11, 2025 at 11:23 PM
A rare moment of bipartisan agreement: about half of both Republicans (50%) and Democrats (51%) say they’re more concerned than excited about the growing role of AI in daily life.
All that wealth, and Elon Musk is still quite poor.
November 11, 2025 at 4:15 PM
All that wealth, and Elon Musk is still quite poor.
Tonight I’ll be giving a talk for my undergraduate Alma mater, Westminster College. It’s already been an amazing experience to come back where I fell in love with psychology, and meet with the current students!
November 6, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Tonight I’ll be giving a talk for my undergraduate Alma mater, Westminster College. It’s already been an amazing experience to come back where I fell in love with psychology, and meet with the current students!
You may have seen scary headlines linking melatonin and a higher risk of heart failure.
But when you look closely at the research behind those headlines, it’s much less alarming.
Let’s break down what the study actually did, and what it didn’t. 🧵
But when you look closely at the research behind those headlines, it’s much less alarming.
Let’s break down what the study actually did, and what it didn’t. 🧵
November 4, 2025 at 4:00 PM
You may have seen scary headlines linking melatonin and a higher risk of heart failure.
But when you look closely at the research behind those headlines, it’s much less alarming.
Let’s break down what the study actually did, and what it didn’t. 🧵
But when you look closely at the research behind those headlines, it’s much less alarming.
Let’s break down what the study actually did, and what it didn’t. 🧵
When I studied neuroscience, I was in awe of the idea that the brain is trying to understand itself. I think more scientists should embrace — and share — their own sense of wonder and the deeply human side of discovery.
October 29, 2025 at 3:45 PM
When I studied neuroscience, I was in awe of the idea that the brain is trying to understand itself. I think more scientists should embrace — and share — their own sense of wonder and the deeply human side of discovery.
Sociologist Barry Markovsky has no problem with people believing whatever they want, but he does take issue when others exploit those beliefs to sell products that lack scientific evidence.
October 28, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Sociologist Barry Markovsky has no problem with people believing whatever they want, but he does take issue when others exploit those beliefs to sell products that lack scientific evidence.
It was a wonderful opportunity to speak at Northwestern's School of Communications Fall Colloquium last week! I really enjoyed listening to the thoughtful questions and perspectives from the students.
October 27, 2025 at 3:32 PM
It was a wonderful opportunity to speak at Northwestern's School of Communications Fall Colloquium last week! I really enjoyed listening to the thoughtful questions and perspectives from the students.
And here are the details for Thursday's colloquium:
October 20, 2025 at 3:02 PM
And here are the details for Thursday's colloquium:
"If I were a woman I'd be talking to my doctor and not taking advice from RFK" -Republican Senator John Thune
October 16, 2025 at 2:01 PM
"If I were a woman I'd be talking to my doctor and not taking advice from RFK" -Republican Senator John Thune
The director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has just been laid off.
October 14, 2025 at 1:42 PM
The director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has just been laid off.
Excited to speak at the RISE AI conference at The University of Notre Dame! Here is Sriram Raghavan, Vice President of IBM Research for Al speaking about GenAI apps. Later I’ll be talking about how AI impacts our information ecosystem.
October 8, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Excited to speak at the RISE AI conference at The University of Notre Dame! Here is Sriram Raghavan, Vice President of IBM Research for Al speaking about GenAI apps. Later I’ll be talking about how AI impacts our information ecosystem.
Critical ignoring offers some great strategies to help navigate our noisy information landscape.
September 18, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Critical ignoring offers some great strategies to help navigate our noisy information landscape.
In 1994, Mr. Rodgers made a prescient point: our information-overloaded world leaves too little time for quiet reflection.
September 10, 2025 at 2:51 PM
In 1994, Mr. Rodgers made a prescient point: our information-overloaded world leaves too little time for quiet reflection.
After CDC Director Susan Monarez was fired for resisting vaccine policy changes, @jeremyfaust.bsky.social reminds us that public health must come before ideology.
#USANotRFK
#USANotRFK
August 29, 2025 at 8:00 PM
After CDC Director Susan Monarez was fired for resisting vaccine policy changes, @jeremyfaust.bsky.social reminds us that public health must come before ideology.
#USANotRFK
#USANotRFK
Outside the CDC, people are chanting “USA, not RFK.” They are fed up with having one unqualified person dictate the nation’s health. #USANotRFK
August 28, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Outside the CDC, people are chanting “USA, not RFK.” They are fed up with having one unqualified person dictate the nation’s health. #USANotRFK