Political Polarization

I always had the suspicion that Facebook wasn't the best place to discuss politics. Though it seems like it would be a good way for people to stay politically connected, I wasn't surprised when I stumbled upon this study that people of certain parties tend to be surrounded by their own party's material in their own social media.

I think this could lead to a serious problem. A lot of political topics are discussed over Facebook. A lot of controversial topics are discussed over Facebook as well. From what I've seen, Facebook discussions don't really help anyone. People just get fired up and verbally tear others apart because they forget they're addressing a real person. No matter what you say to these people, they are hard to sway. They seem to walk away with a greater conviction than before, whether right or wrong. I think this fire is fed by their feeds; the majority of the posts and tweets they see are in agreement with their own political views. This could lead to serious political polarization.

I wonder how social media will continue to change the way that campaigns are run. It would be interesting to see studies that analyze the impact that social media has on voters. For those who want to learn about both parties from a non-biased source, I would stay away from social media. And the internet.

Food for thought!