John Bentley, a recent graduate, was awarded the Chancellor’s prize for his groundbreaking research on the risks posed by social media expansion in developing nations. His study highlights how the rise of social media can exacerbate the risk of genocide in certain economic contexts. Guided by Politics Professor Kent Eaton, Bentley analyzed global evidence to explore the relationship between economic development and genocide risk. Contrary to the belief that less developed nations face higher genocide risks, Bentley identified a ‘Goldilocks zone,’ where genocide risk increases during initial phases of economic growth due to the introduction of mass communication systems. These systems, including social media, can be exploited to spread harmful content. Bentley argues that technology companies often expand into developing regions without implementing safeguards, prioritizing profits over safety. His research suggests that regulation in the countries where these companies are based, primarily the U.S., could hold them accountable. Bentley’s findings earned him the UC Santa Cruz Chancellor’s and Dean’s Awards for undergraduate research excellence. Professor Eaton praised Bentley’s innovative approach, noting his ability to synthesize data from diverse global cases. Since graduating in June 2025, Bentley has joined the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s office as an intern and plans to attend law school. He credits his undergraduate research experience for deepening his education and encourages others to pursue similar opportunities.
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Understanding the influences of technology and economic development on genocide risk
Recent graduate John Bentley won the Chancellor’s award for his research on the risks of social media expansion in developing countries. The rise of social media in recent decades has brought with it a steady drumbeat of warnings from experts around the world. The unchecked spread of disinformation, propaganda, and hate speech on these platforms can fuel the darkest of human impulses. New research led by politics and legal studies double-major John Bentley shows how the roll-out of social media in developing countries could actually increase the risk of genocide. Under the guidance of Politics Professor Kent Eaton, Bentley combed through evidence from around the globe to investigate the connection between economic development and the occurrence of genocide. While less developed countries are generally assumed to have a higher risk of genocide, what Bentley actually found was a “Goldilocks zone,” where risk of rapid, large-scale genocide increases with economic development during initial phases. Part of the reason for that is the introduction of mass communication systems, which can be used to incite genocide. Bentley says mass communication technology is often rolled out before countries are able to build strong public education systems to combat the risks. And the issue is becoming more serious with the ease of accessing social media from mobile devices. “The tech corporations are increasing their expansion in these economically developing areas, and they’re very predatory,” Bentley said. “They serve to make a lot of money by introducing their communications technology, and they have no responsibility for safeguards, monitoring what rhetoric and information is being spread, or how personal data about out-groups can be collected and weaponized.” Social media companies often see the highest return on investment in the poorest countries, Bentley says, so they compete with each other to corner these markets, without any incentive to make sure their systems are being implemented safely. The result is that the “Goldilocks zone” for genocide risk is shifting lower and lower on the economic development scale. Bentley’s research suggests that the most effective way to hold corporations accountable is likely through regulation in the nations where they’re headquartered, which for most companies is the United States. His findings were compiled into a senior thesis paper that recently won the UC Santa Cruz Chancellor’s and Dean’s Awards for excellence in undergraduate research. “The aspect of John’s research that I found most impressive was that he was able to make an innovative argument about a field of study—the role of technology in genocide—that has been extensively studied by political scientists,” explained Professor Eaton. “Answering the question that he was posing required him to look far afield in terms of case selection. Rather than having to master only one or two countries from one world region, he brought into his study empirical evidence from a broad range of cases.” Since graduating in June 2025, Bentley has accepted an internship with the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s office. He hopes to attend law school in the future. Bentley says conducting undergraduate research helped him get the most out of his UC Santa Cruz education, and he encourages other students to take advantage of the opportunity. “Taking my senior capstone, it was like all of this work of being a college student finally clicked for me,” he said. “You have the general background information, you have the understanding of how to parse through documents, how to disassemble narratives and understand the core basis of an issue, so to then be allowed the freedom, within a theme, to explore whatever you’re interested in and have a mentor by your side to help guide you in the right direction was such an amazing process. It’s such an amazing feeling to be generating some level of knowledge as a culmination of my four years of learning.”