Not joking.
In the future, the biggest story of this moment in time may be the impact of social media and alternative news sources on US society, something the Russians already clearly recognize, but we seem slow to pick up here in the US.
You can see this issue discussed in detail here:
Thankfully, this is an article arguing that our divisions are not as great as they appear, which is a twist on something posted here often: that there are way more "moderates" in the country than hyper-partisans, but the current political adn "media" system has been twisted to elevate the extreme voter.
To understand, you have to begin with this fom the article, a scientific explanation of . . you guessed it . . the cocoon:
"Individuals tend to avoid information that contradicts their prior beliefs. This phenomenon, called selective exposure, plainly means that people choose to only expose themselves to content they expect to agree with. Think of your conservative uncle who only watches Fox News, or your liberal nephew who listens exclusively to NPR."
In a recent study, conducted by researchers Jeremy Frimer, Linda Skitka and Matt Motyl, about two thirds of individuals preferred earning less money for study participation if it meant avoiding reading arguments opposing their beliefs. This, of course, can lead to concern that people form echo chambers, wherein like-minded citizens simply reiterate familiar and attractive positions."
Interestingly, the analysis says that the "cocoon" exists based on peoples INCORRECT preconceived notions about the EMOTIONAL impact of information they disagree with (they discuss multiple studies to back up this claim, but here on the Cove think about the reaction to many negative trump threads, even without reading them ie the volume alone is distressing) but the ultimate conclusion is this:
" . . .our democracy requires us at a minimum to expose ourselves to a diversity of ideas. Doing so is a necessary, but not sufficient, precondition for effective civil discourse. In today's political environment, this can feel like a daunting task. But our research suggests a more hopeful outlook."
WHY POST THIS?
1) EVERYONE (myself included) would do well to read /listen/watch the "other side." As I mentioned previously, I agree with certain foundational aspects OF trump's policies. I mostly disagree with the application/execution. THIS IS THE POINT OF THE CITED STUDIES
2) EVERYONE should be worried about the combination of the cocoon ("selective exposure") and conspiracy theories. This combination has led to mass violence and is seriously scarring the presidency right now. Stuff is repeated so much, including stuff with little or no basis in fact
3) Everyone should also be able to see the nefarious side of the "fake news" claim. Like everything Trump there is some foundational truth -- meaning most traditional news has a left bias -- but taken to the extreme, especially with "selective exposure" - the claim of fake news" is also an Orwellian tool to get people to stay in their "cocoon." However, as the author suggest, "our democracy requires us at a minimum to expose ourselves to a diversity of ideas."
