Opening hours: Thursday and Friday 16:00-20:00, Saturday 10:00-16:00. Closed on Sundays and all public holidays. Museum will be closed on December 6th and 20th.
The Glass Room – Misinformation Edition
We hear a lot about misinformation, misleading disinformation, and conspiracy theories. But what makes information reliable or unreliable?
Is something considered ‘misinformation’ simply because it represents an opinion we disagree with? And what role do new deepfake technologies and social media platforms play in spreading misinformation and in the impact it has on our culture, politics, and society?
This exhibition explores what misinformation is, why it is shared, how it spreads, and how we, as individual users, participate in the process through our numerous clicks, likes, and shares.
We will show you how misinformation can become normalized and how the decisions of technology custodians can influence the behavior and opinions of the masses.
The guest exhibition “The Glass Room – Misinformation,” produced by the Berlin-based Tactical Tech, will be on display until January 31, 2025, on the first floor of the Computer History Museum Slovenia. The exhibition’s hosting has been supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia as part of the Public Call for Co-Financing Projects for the Promotion, Development, and Advancement of Media Literacy for the year 2023 (JPR-MP-23).
Dealing with Misinformation
What happens when we increasingly rely on social media and the internet for nearly all information? Which information do we see, and what do we miss? How can we tell if a picture or post is genuine or accurate? And what can we do if we’re uncertain?
Information travels quickly and easily—perhaps even too much so—and reaches far. So far, we have yet to fully analyze or understand the extent of the social, political, and cultural impacts of this supersonic speed.
In addition to having many more channels for receiving and sharing content, the way this content reaches us has also changed, from news portals to influencers. The people and methods involved in the production, transfer, and storage of information and data have multiplied—not to mention the numerous companies that have built major businesses around it. All these factors together can make it harder to distinguish fact from fiction, to know which sources to trust, and when to proceed with caution.
Whether it’s a “Twitter/X bot” or a deepfake, we are all surrounded by high-frequency information impulses that are often not visible. As users and consumers of online content, we are no longer neutral or passive recipients of information. We can also be the main channels of distribution and spread.
Every one of us, regardless of age, should be aware of how false and sometimes misleading information can be shared and spread through the tools we use. This is especially true for young people, for whom apps and social networks are part of their identity, and many don’t pause to verify content before sharing it with friends. Recent studies have shown, however, that older adults also face challenges in distinguishing genuine from questionable information—and even share content more frequently than other age groups.
EXPLORE THE GLASS ROOM
In this exhibition, open to all generations, you can explore how social media and the internet have transformed the way we read and react to information. Discover more about new types of influencers, the tactics they use—both old and new—and the role of users and consumers in the flow of information. We’ve also examined the relationship between personal data, targeted content, and our opinions, views, and behaviors, as well as the business models behind it all.
Learn why recognizing “fake news” is not as simple as it sounds and how the term “fake news” itself can be as problematic as the news it describes. Immerse yourself in the world of deepfakes, which are now so realistic that they’re nearly impossible to detect. Find out why social media platforms are designed to capture our attention and how they can be used to shape our thinking.
