The age of the anti-social networks is already in full swing, and the platforms will almost make sure we remain divided.
It isn’t just the 2024 election cycle, presidential candidates have long promised, even vowed to be a uniter or unifier. We’ve heard from candidates past and present that they’ll be a president for all Americans.
The problem is that throughout our republic’s history, around half of Americans haven’t been all that ready to accept the person they didn’t vote for, and that’s not likely to change in 2024. Yet, what makes it different today is that social media has created an echo chamber that ensures we remain more divided than ever.
This is in no small part due to the spread of misinformation, disinformation and even outright lies—and the platforms have done little to combat it.
« Social media has always been a facilitator of polarization », said Dr. Kurt Braddock, assistant professor of public communication at American University.
« The algorithms used to determine which content people see necessarily puts people in their own echo chambers where they are only exposed to things they agree with, which basically creates distinct ‘sides’ on issues », warned Braddock. « The platforms are financially incentivized to do this since people are more inclined to engage with material they agree with, which makes it easier to earn advertising dollars by placing that content in front of their users that they’ll look at and click.
