> Smartphones and the internet have given the layperson awesome technology literally in their hands.
The quote is "awesome technological powers", which, I think, is different from having a technological device. There are the data brokers, social media giants, and governments that have the technological power to manipulate the masses.
> The entire election of 2024 was driven by the people specifically questioning those in authority
The quote: "when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority". Are they serving their own agenda or the agenda of others through the media they consume? Are they knowledgable in their questioning?