How social media shapes polarization
159 Citations•2021•
Jay Joseph Van Bavel, Steve Rathje, Elizabeth Harris
It is argued that social media shapes polarization through the following social, cognitive, and technological processes: partisan selection, message content, and platform design and algorithms.
Abstract
This article reviews the empirical evidence on the relationship between social media and political polarization. We argue that social media shapes polarization through the following social, cognitive, and technological processes: partisan selection, message content, and platform design and algorithms.