In an era fraught with political polarization, social media has only added fuel to the fire.
By the nature of its design, social media only shows us what we want to see.
When it comes to family pictures or inspirational quotes, this does no harm. However, when it comes to political ideology, things are different. By recognizing political patterns of thought, social media can create echo chambers in which only our own views are continuously reaffirmed.
The past two years have seen decisive political events that have divided the country—the 2020 election, COVID-19 restrictions, Black Lives Matter protests and the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
With these issues affecting millions of people, it’s not unreasonable to not expect a political conviction. Nonetheless, the use of social media to discuss these events has led to political identity becoming interwoven with social identity.
On one hand, political beliefs become part of a person’s life as they advocate on behalf of their beliefs on their personal accounts.
This transforms political views into moral issues which can define the way they see people.
If someone disagrees with them, they will be bound to see others as immoral and cut them out of their lives. The anonymity of the internet also exasperates online arguments where people are immune to the real-life ramifications of spewing vitriol at one another.
Unsurprisingly, this has led to a rise in political extremism.
This generation often overlooks the danger of political polarization since they lack memories of a time before modern technology and the division it has brought.
Unfortunately, the inability to respect opposing opinions even causes in-group fighting. This is seen in the stratification of the Democratic Party, which is often unable to make compromises between moderate liberals and extreme leftists.
Similarly, the support or disapproval toward former president Donald Trump, especially after last year’s capital riots, has divided the Republican Party.
The consequences of this crippling division are seen in our democracy through a faulty legislative branch, a distracted executive branch and a manipulated judicial branch.
It would be ignorant to suggest social media can be removed from modern life. However, its effects on political polarization have had devastating consequences that must be mitigated.
The current level of extremism, which only seems to be rising, will result in the collapse of our democracy.
As individual users, we should be aware of how social media manipulates our opinions while also striving to ensure the companies running the platforms are held accountable and liable for how they influence the masses.
