Politics nowadays seems to be an ever-present part of our lives. Classroom discussions, news channels, fliers in your mailbox – and now our phones. A quick scroll through TikTok for one user may show poodles in pasta pots, while another user may see “top 10 things Obama doesn’t want you to know about immigrants!”
The integration of politics into social media has changed the way we view our government. And algorithms know this.
A study published by the American Economic Review surveyed 17,000 Americans and found that content-ranking algorithms on platforms such as Facebook limit exposure to contrasting views, increasing polarization and leading to more user engagement such as likes and reactions. Essentially, algorithms are leveraging our “us vs. them” psychological mentality to feed us the information we want to see.
According to Emilee Chapman, an assistant professor of political science at Stanford University, social media is increasing the ideological rift between users of different worldviews.
“To the extent that people are interacting with strangers on social media, they’re getting a very skewed picture of that person,” Chapman said. “If you’re interacting with a person online that you don’t know, then you’re much more likely to make broader inferences about defects in the person’s character, or reasoning to jump to conclusions about other facts of who they are.”
As students, we need to realize the role that social media algorithms play in manipulating the information we receive. First, students can also choose to moderate their own media consumption. Chapman says that it is our responsibility to approach polarized content with critical thinking.
“For echo chambers, there has to be a strong degree of personal responsibility,” Chapman said. “If people are interacting with people of different viewpoints, they’ll be able to put one thing that someone says into context.”
Students who consistently engage with people of similar political beliefs should take a step back. The farther you stand from a social issue, the simpler it seems. So the next time you debate politics with someone else, whether it be online or at an awkward family gathering, get close. Engage with an open mind and with the intent to learn. Ask questions and reiterate their points to make sure your interpretation of their points is not clouded by preconceived biases.
Students are also encouraged to consume news from multiple outlets across the political spectrum, allowing readers to compare how different outlets frame the same story. This can be achieved more easily by using sites like AllSides.com, which presents users with news story coverage from multiple perspectives—left, right, and center.
And on social media, students should go out of their way to explore media output from opposing sides or find people in their community who may disagree with their opinions.
These misunderstandings of the “other side” also lead to the perpetuation of a cycle, as these users create polarized output.
The way in which this takes place in the digital space is increased engagement with “rage bait,” which is content that inspires anger or hate in the viewer.
A paper published by researchers from New York University in 2021 suggests that each additional out-group word, such as “Republican” or “Right-wing” for a Democrat post, increased the probability of that post being shared by 67%. It also increased the number of negative reactions through dislikes and angry comments.
Before retweeting that viral thread on a political scandal or sharing that sensationalized story about a politician’s latest statement, we should stop and ask ourselves, Is this content crafted to inform, or is it merely designed to enrage? Is it bringing something constructive to the conversation, or is it just adding fuel to the fire? In that pause lies the potential to shift from reaction to reflection.
It’s also easier than ever to assume the worst of others based on snippets or headlines, but meaningful discourse demands more than reactionary responses. Students are encouraged to be thoughtful in the way they engage with media, whether that means reading further into facts before posting or refraining from publicly reacting to rage bait.
In an increasingly polarized world, it’s our responsibility as the next generation to reverse this cycle of division and attempt to connect with the other side. We have the power to close the divide: in our hands, and in our phones.