EP 470 Is There a Way to Make Social Media Platforms Less Polarizing?

In this moment of increasing social isolation, social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, are some of the key tools we have to communicate and understand one another.  While many consider these platforms to be a mirror to define our place in society, our guest tells us they function more like a prism that distorts our identities and gives greater voice to status-seeking extremists.  In the process, the majority in our country who consider themselves political moderates are rendered all but invisible.  Chris Bail is a professor of sociology and public policy at Duke University.  He is also the director of its Polarization Lab and author of ‘Breaking the Social Media Prism’.  Get ready as he explodes one wildly held myth that if we did not seal ourselves off in our respective echo chambers and opened ourselves up to divergent political opinions it would change the rancor that pervades our political discourse.   He’ll explain.  We also discuss a new study he’s been involved with regarding the poisonous cocktail which poses a grave danger to our democracy as our differences on issues morph into political sectarianism.  

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