Trust Is Not Decreasing—It Is Diffusing
The headlines tell us that trust is decreasing across every industry and in every position of authority, from members of Congress to scientists. It is tempting to believe that there is less trust in our world, and when faced with that daunting prospect, it can feel like a problem that is impossible to solve.
The only problem is it isn’t true.
Trust is not decreasing—it is simply diffusing to new people and new groups.
Our brains are wired to trust those whom we are in contact with on a regular basis. Often referred to as availability bias, we tend to follow people who help us understand our world and make it simpler. We like familiar facts and images we have seen before and the people who deliver them. We also have a tendency to convince ourselves that beliefs are actually “facts.”
There is a sense of urgency to build a new understanding about where trust is being gained relative to societal issues of all kinds. This need occurs at the same time that it has never been easier to misinform and disinform our world.
So why do we miss seismic changes like the diffusion of trust?
The main reason is that we tend to measure what we measured last year and the year before rather than exploring how the “n” or independent factor being measured (trust in this case) is changing over time.
To illustrate this point, let’s look at three big changes that have driven the diffusion of trust since the internet was created.
1. The Freedom To Follow
The 4 billion people worldwide who can access social media channels make their own decisions on whom they follow. Their choices have led to the emergence of TikTok as a global powerhouse and the staying power of Facebook as a media platform of choice worldwide.
How we all make this decision is instructive.
When given a choice, humans prefer to follow other humans. The rise of the internet has magnified this choice since we can decide which individuals will receive our attention and when. They, in return, get to build a powerful community built on their singular personality.
If you look at the top influencers on Instagram, YouTube or X for the top 25 countries in the world, try to find a brand, company or government in the top 25. If you do, let me know.
The result is a new media distribution system that is ready to serve all of us online. How we utilize this new system, as a brand or company, can define our level of success in reaching current and future customers.
2. Micro-Communities
The next major shift relates to how gaming has led to new behaviors. The 3.2 billion gamers in our world love to create micro-communities of people around the world who spend time together playing their favorite game, independent of geography. The technology of gaming platforms, such as Discord, enables a group of people to stay in contact anytime, so a group of friends from college may speak online on a Friday night as they go out to enjoy the evening in 10 different cities. A gaming group can be like a constant companion that we can’t visually see, but it is there for us.
We are deciding which communities we want to be involved in, and we don’t see any real boundaries in choosing whom we interact with.
3. Encrypted Echo Chambers
The third shift relates to encrypted message platforms. In a world where our position on any topic could be criticized or made fun of online, many of us retreat to a safer place where we can talk with friends and share our thoughts unencumbered, like hanging out in an apartment together. These groups within message platforms become another form of a safe haven. We get to be ourselves.
The result is we are deciding whom we trust, and it is often an individual or a community we select. We are deciding whom we spend time with as we seek out safer places to share our thoughts in private.
This is how and where trust is being formed as we lament its loss in other places, such as companies or governments.
It is time to take a fresh look at how trust is being formed and where it is occurring.
Our trust is diffusing, but it exists in as much abundance as it ever has—just not where we want it to. How we build relevance with new people and within new places in our digital world will define our impact on trust in the future.
It will require new models, new metrics, new maps and a new habit to admit that one group’s decline is another’s increase.