Social media-driven polarisation will intensify

Subject

Political polarisation on social media.

Significance

The rise in political polarisation in large parts of the world is frequently attributed to social media’s ‘echo chambers’ within which people are exposed to like-minded rather than dissenting views. However, new studies show the problem is structural.

Impacts

• Social media will be used for mobilising both progressive and regressive political movements.
• Individuals are often exposed to more opposition views online than offline; it can sharpen rather than narrow their differences.
• As Facebook expands into the digital payments ecosystem, limiting online polarisation will become harder.