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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Content: This in turn might help explain why encouraging people to follow politicians from the opposing side appears to worsen polarization: Politicians tweet the policy positions that their political base wants to hear, of course—but they do so in moral and emotive language that may create negative reactions from the opposing side. This language itself becomes news, as reporters turn tweets into headlines that can generate fear on the “other side.” In this way, the whole news cycle shifts towards more polarizing and emotionally laden content. According to Gordon Allport’s “contact hypothesis,” contact between groups lessens prejudice. However, decades of research testing this hypothesis has found some limitations. Although intergroup contact does tend to increase cooperation—and reduce prejudice—the positive effect may depend on important contextual factors, such as the nature of the conflict and whether the groups have equal status or a common goal. As Allport put it, sometimes more contact can lead to more trouble. That appears to be the case on Twitter. Can we build social-media bridges?