Reality Apathy Erodes Accountability

When information overload makes truth‑seeking too costly, citizens stop trying to verify claims and default to lowest‑cost narratives. That 'reality apathy' reduces the political incentive structures that normally hold institutions and leaders to account, because few voters will invest time to detect falsehoods or manipulative framing. — If widespread, reality apathy undermines democratic accountability and shifts political advantage to actors who optimize attention and simplicity rather than accuracy.