In general, Bill Gates is optimistic about 2022. In an article he posted on his blog, “Reasons for optimism after a difficult year,” the billionaire Microsoft co-founder made optimistic predictions, such as the possible end of the pandemic and the rise of the metaverse.
But there are a few things that bother him and one in particular threatens to derail or delay progress. It is about the people’s distrust of governments. “It’s one of the issues I’m most concerned about as we enter 2022,” he said.
Public institutions need to be important players in struggles such as tackling climate change or preventing the next pandemic, according to Gates. But their margins are limited if people reject what they say from the beginning.
“If your people do not trust you, they are not going to support big new initiatives. “And when a major crisis strikes, they are less likely to follow the instructions needed to overcome the storm.”
This distrust has been particularly evident since the pandemic struck, with misinformation surrounding the coronavirus spreading to the United States and the rest of the world, hampering vaccination programs and eventually delaying the end of the pandemic.
However, research by the Pew Research Center showed that similar trends prevailed before the coronavirus. In 2019, 75% of Americans responded that their fellow citizens’ trust in government is declining. 64% said that the trust they have in each other is also decreasing.
Gates points out that politically motivated media headlines as well as social media have a share of the responsibility for widening this gap, estimating that governments may need to regulate online platforms in order to tackle misinformation.
moneyreview.gr with information from CNBC
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