How Social Media Amplifies Misinformation and Fuels Xenophobia | Muna Ndulo at UJ

How has social media changed the way misinformation spreads, and what does that mean for xenophobia in modern societies? In these closing remarks at the International Conference on Interdisciplinary Approaches to Addressing Xenophobia in the Southern African Region on March 27, 2026, Muna Ndulo reflects on how digital platforms have transformed the speed and reach of misinformation, allowing harmful ideas, stereotypes, and misguided narratives to circulate far beyond their original source. Using a striking analogy, he notes that while in the past misinformation may have remained confined to small circles, today social media allows it to travel globally within moments; shaping public attitudes far beyond local communities. Ndulo further argues that xenophobia is not an inherent human condition, but one often produced through fear, manipulation, and social conditioning. He calls on individuals and institutions alike to resist this trend and uphold the shared humanity that binds societies together. His remarks raise an important question for our time: How should societies confront misinformation when digital platforms increasingly shape public fear and social hostility?