Title: Are Social Media Driving Political Polarization?
Headings: 
Politics Articles & More
Are Social Media Driving Political Polarization?
Battles rage on Facebook and Twitter—but their influence on real-world politics is subtler than you might think.
Do we live in “filter bubbles”?
How social media shape debate
Can we build social-media bridges?
Special Event: Bridging Differences
About the Authors
Lee de-Wit
Sander van der Linden
Cameron Brick
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There are probably many reasons. Could social media be driving polarization? Many people think so—and, indeed, Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter have all become sites of ferocious political argument. While polarization definitely plays out on social media, the evidence to date suggests that its impact is subtler than you might think. Social media, it seems, amp up moral and emotional messages while organizing people into digital communities based on tribal conflicts. This makes consensus building more difficult—but, as we’ll discuss, it could also pave a more cooperative path forward. Do we live in “filter bubbles”? Many people argue that we increasingly live in online filter bubbles that only expose us to the ideas we already agree with. This is consistent with a broader psychological literature on confirmation bias, showing that we are more likely to seek out and agree with views that align with our pre-existing beliefs. Selecting our preferred news sites and curating our social media accounts potentially makes it easier to listen to groups or individuals who validate our own worldviews.