The political left and right seem much further apart than they were just a few years ago. The 2020 and 2022 election cycles made this abundantly clear. The political conflicts seem bigger, and the way people treat each other when it comes to public policy is uglier. Political change is inevitable, but I continue to wonder why the political spectrum seems so much more polarized today. Despite popular calls for diversity, inclusion and tolerance, divisive ideology has become less moderate, less kind and less tolerant.
Way back in the 1900s, when I was growing up in Derby, if anyone wanted to know what was going on, they read the morning or evening newspaper or they had three channels of live broadcast TV news to pick from. All three stations went off the air at midnight after they played the National Anthem. Remember those days?
Today, I hear many people say they will not read a newspaper and network news is not what it used to be. They say those sources are biased, and so they refuse to support them by reading or listening to them. None of my adult kids get their news from traditional newscasts or newspapers. They subscribe to podcasts and read digital news.
Several recent studies have concluded that Americans who get news mainly on social media are less knowledgeable and less engaged. Some studies say roughly 20% of people rely on platforms, such as TikTok, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook to know what’s going on in the world. More recent studies have that number as high as 70%.
Unfortunately, these apps tailor the content to what the account holder wants to see and hear. They don’t inform or educate as much as reinforce existing beliefs. Ironically, the same people that reject mainstream media are fine consuming summary-level so-called news from social media. A la carte news that comes from social media and syndicated talk radio only skews our ideology.
Sadly, cultural reliance on entertainment platforms for information has caused an unhealthy focus on national news while almost completely ignoring state and local issues. Few people have any awareness of state and local political issues. If you really think about it, state and local issues should be prioritized because these have a greater effect and impact on our daily lives, and this is where we can personally make a difference.
The information superhighway and social media are here to stay, but we need to be aware of how it can distort our perspective.
(1) comment
Good thing I’m a subscriber and didn’t have to rely on Twitter to guide me here (even thought that’s how I got here, LoL)!
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