Bubbles...

 

Americans are more polarized today than ever at least by some measures.
A growing body of research suggests that social media is accelerating the trend, and many political scientists worry it’s tearing our country apart.  

Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter have all become sites of ferocious political argument. While polarization definitely plays out on social media, the evidence to date suggests that its impact is subtler than you might think. 

Social media, it seems, amp up moral and emotional messages while organizing people into digital communities based on tribal conflicts.

We are increasingly live in online filter bubbles that only expose us to the ideas we already agree with. This is consistent with a broader psychological literature on confirmation bias, showing that we are more likely to seek out and agree with views that align with our pre-existing beliefs. 

Selecting our preferred news sites and curating our social media accounts potentially makes it easier to listen to groups or individuals who validate our own worldviews.  Just a thought.