A Yin Yang Social Media Button Could Help Stem the Tide of Polarization

What if, contrary to popular belief, experiences in life actually narrowed a person’s perspective rather than broadening it? And what if, in this digital era, the range of information available to us were shrinking rather than expanding – thereby aggravating the disturbing trends toward political, social and economic polarization worldwide?

Indeed, today we may well be witnessing a new wave in history characterized by snowballing momentum toward greater, deeper divisions. Not only can the lack of consensus lead to US government shutdowns, but also conversations around issues such as gun control and immigration reach bitter, protracted stalemates.

The media, with its notorious penchant for left or right and its license to interpret events, has often been cited as a contributor to this polarization process. Naturally, audiences gravitate toward news outlets presenting views closest to their own. It is a fact of life, and there is little if anything we can do to control this.

Less known is the extent to which this plays out in the social media-sphere. It is much harder to make categorical choices about the content we will stumble upon on Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook. Yet whether we are … click HERE to continue reading