From Media Audience to Critical Citizen: Media Evolution, Psychological Vulnerability and the Crisis of Information Trust in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

We live in an age of unprecedented access to information, yet having more information does not necessarily mean understanding the world more accurately. From traditional storytelling and printed newspapers to television, smartphones and generative artificial intelligence, the ways in which people create, distribute and interpret information have undergone profound transformations. In From Media Audience to Critical Citizen: Media Evolution, Psychological Vulnerability and the Crisis of Information Trust in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, Dawid Karol Kolodziej explores the psychological, educational and social consequences of these changes. Drawing on established media theories and contemporary scientific research, the publication examines why people believe misinformation, how repeated messages influence perceptions of truth, and how emotional narratives, cognitive biases and media framing contribute to the formation of individual and collective beliefs. Particular attention is given to artificial intelligence, deepfake technologies, synthetic media and the limitations of automated content detection. The author also investigates the relationship between AI-assisted productivity and independent human reasoning, considering how the delegation of cognitive tasks may influence critical thinking and information evaluation. A central argument concerns the unequal burden of information verification: while professional information producers possess considerable resources and influence, ordinary citizens often lack the time, expertise and technological tools necessary to independently verify every claim they encounter. The publication therefore challenges the assumption that combating misinformation should depend primarily on individual media literacy and emphasises the responsibility of publishers and information producers to substantiate factual claims and correct significant errors transparently. Building upon established scholarship, the author develops an updated five-dimensional conceptual framework for critical media citizenship, encompassing access and provenance, analysis of media construction and framing, evaluation of evidence and uncertainty, responsible creation and participation, and reflection on communicative power and shared responsibility. Combining social psychology, media education and critical analysis, this scholarly publication contributes to contemporary discussions about artificial intelligence, misinformation, public trust and the future of informed democratic participation.

PRIMARY KEYWORDS:

Media Literacy

Artificial Intelligence

Critical Thinking

Misinformation

Deepfakes

SECONDARY KEYWORDS:

Disinformation

Social Psychology

Information Credibility

Media Education

Digital Citizenship

Cognitive Bias

AI-Generated Content

Information Verification

Public Trust

Media Accountability

LONG-TAIL SEO KEYWORDS:

psychology of misinformation

AI and critical thinking

deepfake detection limitations

effects of artificial intelligence on human reasoning

media literacy in the age of AI

why people believe fake news

psychological mechanisms of misinformation

responsibility of media organisations

AI-generated misinformation and public trust

education for critical digital citizenship

Website: https://dkk.hqici.com