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Social media and internet not cause of political polarisation (new research suggests)
Using a random sample of adult internet users in the UK, researchers at the Oxford Internet Institute and the University of Ottawa examined people’s media choices, and how much they influenced their interaction with echo chambers, against six key variables: gender, income, ethnicity, age, breadth of media use and political interest. The findings reveal that rather than encouraging the use and development of echo chambers, the breadth of multimedia available actually makes it easier for people to avoid them.
Dr Grant Blank, co-author and research fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, said: ‘Whatever the causes of political polarisation today, it is not social media or the internet.
‘If anything, most people use the internet to broaden their media horizons. We found evidence that people actively look to confirm the information that they read online, in a multitude of ways. They mainly do this by using a search engine to find offline media and validate political information. In the process they often encounter opinions that differ from their own and as a result whether they stumbled across the content passively or use their own initiative to search for answers while double checking their “facts”, some changed their own opinion on certain issues.’
[...] Dr Elizabeth Dubois, co-author and Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa, said: ‘Our results show that most people are not in a political echo chamber. The people at risk are those who depend on only a single medium for political news and who are not politically interested: about 8% of the population. However, because of their lack of political engagement, their opinions are less formative and their influence on others is likely to be comparatively small.’
The echo chamber is overstated: the moderating effect of political interest and diverse media, Elizabeth Dubois & Grant Blank in Information, Communication & Society. 2018 (DOI: 10.1080/1369118X.2018.1428656)
(Score: 1, Insightful) by bmimatt on Tuesday March 12 2019, @11:45PM (9 children)
I am not sure these findings apply to US people. Different culture, education, use patterns, etc.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @11:55PM (1 child)
Also fatter.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @12:42AM
I'm not fat! I'm big-boned!
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @12:24AM (1 child)
This post requires you to put your thinking hat on. Do not bother to read further without one.
First of all, they (*thinking cap*, remember) have been pushing this for awhile. Second of all, when popcorn sales skyrocket or plummet that is when you know they hand a hand in the matter.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @04:44AM
(((thinking caps)))
So very subtle you are these days /s
(Score: 3, Informative) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday March 13 2019, @12:25AM (4 children)
Certainly there would be many differences between the US and the UK, but there is the common factor of Rupert Murdoch.
(Score: 2) by captain normal on Wednesday March 13 2019, @01:38AM (3 children)
Except that he's an Aussie and out to bugger everybody.
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts"- --Daniel Patrick Moynihan--
(Score: 4, Informative) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday March 13 2019, @01:43AM (2 children)
Nah mate! he's a seppo now.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @01:54AM
You are probably the type of person who thinks the difference between 263 and 264 is 1 when it is actually over 9 quintillion.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Wednesday March 13 2019, @02:09AM
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/aug/24/rupertmurdoch.business [theguardian.com]
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 3, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday March 13 2019, @12:21AM (4 children)
Gasoline didn't light that forest on fire, the guy with the match did, but the gasoline did play a part...
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @03:45AM
gasoline is always used to burn. in the same way big and small corporate media have always been propaganda carriers. now, with the added interactivity of the web moguls and corporations are not happy about the quality of control over the public discourse and if that small slice of the population that controls the economy and public policy are not happy, the government is certainly not happy
(Score: 3, Interesting) by HiThere on Wednesday March 13 2019, @04:00PM (2 children)
Bingo!
People have always preferred to go along with the popular idea. They also want their own opinions supported. If you've got an unpopular idea, then the internet lets you find people who agree with you, so you can see your idea as popular. Notice that the accuracy of the idea was not involved in this argument. It pushes both ideas that are factual and ideas that are contrafactual.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday March 13 2019, @09:09PM (1 child)
Then we can start the meta-arguments about quality of "factual" sources...
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Wednesday March 13 2019, @10:20PM
Irrelevant. It pushes both. It pushes the West Virginia Mothman, it pushes election in 2020, it pushes Mothra, it doesn't care, it's just a facilitator, that facilitates ALL weird ideas, and many that aren't weird.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Thexalon on Wednesday March 13 2019, @12:25AM (18 children)
So-called "centrists" and "moderates" are people without principles. As an example of how "moderates" tend to think, you get "extremist" side A saying "We should kill 10 puppies, just for the fun of it!", "extremist" side B saying "No, we shouldn't kill puppies without a good reason!", and the centrists will conclude that we should kill 5 puppies for fun.
The real reason for "polarization" has a lot more to do with the fact that the "centrists" and "moderates" involved in our political system have fouled things up, big time, and refused to change course or even show any signs of taking responsibility. If the so-called centrists want to regain control of the political system, they'll have to show that they can do a better job than the so-called extremists, and they can't do that because their lack of principles means that they often get bribed or fooled into positions that are worse than any of the so-called extremists.
As for how overblown the fears of polarization are: Back not quite a decade ago, representatives from a local Occupy Wall Street protest and a local Tea Party group met up. You'd think this was going to be nasty, but it turned out they agreed about a great many things. Funny how those with power always want those without power too busy hating the 'other' to talk to them.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @12:32AM (2 children)
If the "moderates" have no principles what do the puppy torturers have in terms of principles?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by fustakrakich on Wednesday March 13 2019, @02:35AM
If the "moderates" have no principles what do the puppy torturers have in terms of principles?
The same. The difference between 5 and 10 is the accountant's problem, not the priest's.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Thexalon on Wednesday March 13 2019, @05:02PM
The puppy-torturer's principles are evil ones, no doubt about it. The centrist's complete lack of principles, on the other hand, lead them to be part of evil acts rather than denounce them as evil. That makes both of them a problem.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Kilo110 on Wednesday March 13 2019, @01:26AM (3 children)
Nice strawman you got there.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Thexalon on Wednesday March 13 2019, @02:27PM (1 child)
Real-life moderates have agreed (because to outright oppose it would be "extremist") to killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqi and Afghan civilians for oil pipelines, torturing a few hundred people at Gitmo and Abu Ghraib, and carefully looking the other way while people commit financial crimes that crash the global economy. It's totally ridiculous to think they'd also agree to killing puppies for fun.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Wednesday March 13 2019, @05:15PM
Yeah, yeah, but everyone knows that killing innocent animals is the first step towards becoming a mass-murderer. I mean, they couldn't skip that step, right?
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by DeVilla on Friday March 15 2019, @04:35AM
Would have been a better strawman if "extremist" side B had said "No, we must never kill puppies for any reason!"
(Score: 1, Troll) by SubiculumHammer on Wednesday March 13 2019, @03:02AM (4 children)
The problem is the growing power of the Federal government in a nation composed of many different people's and ideologies. States need more power, then most of this angst would go away.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @04:06AM (3 children)
You are adorable! Do you believe in the tooth fairy too?
There's far more corruption and abuse of power in state and local governments than there is in the Federal government.
Don't take my word for it either. Go look at the data yourself.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @07:40AM
Lucky us he's only a-dorable and not anti-dorable.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by exaeta on Wednesday March 13 2019, @10:13AM
Have to agree here. I've personally dealt with both governments and I can definitely confirm my state is much more corrupt than the federal government.
Life tenure for judges was a great idea, elections for judges not so much. Elections lead to corrupt judges, unfortunately.
The Government is a Bird
(Score: 2) by DeVilla on Friday March 15 2019, @04:46AM
There's corruption at all levels. But my city council and mayor have to look me and our neighbors in the eye. We know each other on a first name basis. I know a lot of places aren't like that, but it a feature to look for in a community. And even though I live in such a small town, we still are visited, in person, by our state legislators pretty regularly and not just during the election cycle. Seeing the governor is town is less common, but has happened.
I've never seen my federal reps in person. Don't know who they answer to, but it's not me or my neighbors. The corruption in D.C. consistently makes anything happening here seem pretty benign.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @03:33AM
I smell an extremist trying to justify his unjustifiable values by trying (and failing miserably) to demonstrate that he has the moral higher ground.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @05:04AM
You're wrong. Side B in your example are the moderates.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @07:37AM (1 child)
I can do one better: totally ignoring the haggle of how many puppies the extremes proposed to kill, that's a thing I don't care, 't's not gonna have any consequence on how the life on this Earth is gonna look like.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @01:55PM
But Trump IS currently the president of the fucking USA. And that's got plenty of consequence. For example all the rotten judges he's installed will perverse the course of justice for decades to come.
Ignore reality to your own peril.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Wednesday March 13 2019, @09:45AM (1 child)
My model of polarization is: you have a bunch of sheep, you want them to go towards a goal, you put two barking dogs at the sides of the goal and one behind. The two barking dogs are Ideology, the rear barking dog is Need for Money.
The barking dogs are not meant to be embraced.
Of course this needs to be more subtle after sheep realize the trick but after a generation you can start again with the young sheep.
As for this study.
>UKians
>against six key variables: gender, income, ethnicity, age, breadth of media use and political interest.
they forgot beer. Wastebasket it.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @10:33AM
Bangers and mash too.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Snotnose on Wednesday March 13 2019, @12:37AM (6 children)
It's the politicians and their consultants that cause this. They not only know about these echo chambers, they fuel their use with the $$$ they get to sway elections.
I find it mind boggling we vote for people who are willing to spend millions for a job that pays, what, 165k/year? Dafuq?
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @01:01AM
But they get free peanut packets when they fly. That's something.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday March 13 2019, @01:16AM
Yeah, those of us who live in countries that don't allow our politicians to spend that much money on their campaigns find it weird too.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday March 13 2019, @01:47AM (1 child)
Most of the time it's not from the politician's pocket, though there are exceptions...
Most of the time it's sponsorship, like NASCAR teams.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @02:43AM
The same rule, don't matter the industries.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @07:47AM (1 child)
If you wouldn't be that busy whinging about your lack of power and realise that your neighbour voting the other party has more in common with you than he's different from you**, you and your neighbour might be able to get back some control over your life.
--
** (so that barking and fighting one with the other is the waste of time and brain-power whoever benefit from your discontent)
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Thursday March 14 2019, @12:41AM
I get along fine with my neighbors, co-workers, and folks in my excersize class. Some are R's, others are D's. We're all disgusted with the way things work in Washington, and with the sheer amount of $$$ that flows into elections.
My and my acquaintances aren't the problem, we all feel left out. The problem lies elsewhere.
Some ideas pulled out of my ass after a couple beers:
1) No paid commercials for politicians
2) Super-PACs are banned
3) Politicians wear patches indicating who supports them, much like Nascar
4) Spending is capped at the annual salary for the office you seek.
5) Serious jail time, and a lifetime ban on political office, if you violate these.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by TheFool on Wednesday March 13 2019, @01:39AM
Did they also examine the media choices of the people that they routinely interact with, or at least the people they watch on the TV or read articles from in the paper?
Unless they are polling actual hermits somewhere I would find this result hard to accept as truthful. If you are surrounded by a society shaped by the internet, you're probably going to start sounding like you are too even if it's only to fit in.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by phantomlord on Wednesday March 13 2019, @01:48AM (7 children)
Trump and his never ending attacks on, well, everyone
Obama telling Republicans they need to sit in the back of the bus [mediaite.com]
GWB calling the Democrats the party of "cut and run." [mediamatters.org]
Governor Cuomo telling conservatives they have no place in New York [nypost.com]
You're not allowed to have nuance or a mind of your own anymore. You pick your most important wedge issue or two to determine your loyalty, then you have to adopt the stance that everything your party believes in is ultimately good while the other party is inherently evil. If you pick a third party, you're an idiot and it's entirely your fault if the bad party won.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @01:55AM (6 children)
Most of the people I know sit back and read whatever makes them feel good on their decisions.
This paper basically says the opposite of what I see pretty much every day. It also says the opposite of what most people I know say about the media. Now that in and of itself does not mean anything. But it seems to be quite the contrary position. I am going to have to put myself in the 'that seems odd' category and question the paper and who sponsored it.
(Score: 2, Troll) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday March 13 2019, @02:47AM (4 children)
Agreed. I'm reminded of a co-worker buddy. He's a fellow veteran, and we had a lot to talk about, a lot in common. But, when it came to the news, Dennis refused to watch or listen to much of anything outside of CBS&NBC. They perpetually confirmed his ideas about whatever issues ware in at the moment. Worse, he told me that he "have to vote Democrat" because he's a black man. He's a very smart guy, except he has placed his head into the echo chamber, he KNOWS he has done so, but refuses to pull his head out. His only source of news outside of the echo chamber seemed to be me, about once a week, telling him about issues outside the echo chamber.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @06:07AM
lawl
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Wednesday March 13 2019, @06:42AM (1 child)
Pull yer haid out, Runaway! Pull it out! I told you keeping it up yer arse for too long would induce permanent brain damage, did i not? Oh, crap, Runaway, you have done it now! Reduced yer IQ by forty points, started watching Fox News, and reading ONN, and other islamophobic and xenophobic and liberalophobic websites, all to the detrimate of your intellect and social skills. Now, your head smells of shit, your posts on SN smell of shit, and your imagined narrative of having served in the US Military? Totally smells like shit. Russian agitprop Bot, for sure. Runaway, outside the bubble. Ha! Please! You are an idiot, Runaway, lacking in knowledge and education, bereft of good judgment, full of shit, and victim of early onset Fox Dementia Syndrome. Fucking Hillbilly Redneck Trump supporter, or a Russian operative of discordia. Either way, Runaway1965, you are an idiot. Plain and simple, but mostly simple, an idiot.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @10:49AM
Brain? Hoodafuq cares about Runaways good fer nutin' brain?!
The damage to his arse is more ova pity, that one used to work ass nature intended before it was blocked by his haid.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Nobuddy on Wednesday March 13 2019, @01:10PM
And how many of those 'issues' came out of your own echo chambers?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @10:35AM
Really? Do they still know how to read?
(Score: 3, Offtopic) by SubiculumHammer on Wednesday March 13 2019, @03:00AM
Increasing polarization is caused by the increasing focus on a Federal system of government, which breeds a winner-take-all political mentality because there is so much to lose by losing.
Californians want different things that Georgians. Alaskans want different things than New Yorkers. When Federal law begins to dominate, people ar enot well represented and (importantly) cannot simply move to a new State to avoid a Federal law that they dislike; they have to win at the national level, and to win, it pays to polarize.
As liberal minded libertarian, I want liberal policies, but implemented at the state level (or smaller). I'm ok with conservative policies to exist in other states. Then we have a market of ideas and implementations. People can live with laws they like best by moving to the state that best represents their ideologies.
The problem with this is that States cannot print money (any more). I believe in liberal deficit spending, but in the form of 'no strings' block grants to the states.
(Score: 2) by Nobuddy on Wednesday March 13 2019, @01:07PM (1 child)
Echo chambers may be easy to avoid- if you want to. People tend to seek what verifies their current position. This means the echo chambers are an attractive nuisance that draws them in then amplifies that position. See Q-nuts and antifa for examples.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @02:01PM
Isn't it fortunate that there are no such nasty people in your fascist echo chamber?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @03:17PM
In the US it feels like more than 8%. My industry may be overly represented by one side though.
Others have posted that politicians are the source of much of the polarization. I agree they are. But, they are only a small factor. It's the press and media doing more of it. And people allow themselves to be sucked into echo chambers. Some because they don't realize it. Some because of peer pressure. Some for social acceptance. Some because it's easier to be told what to think than actually thinking. Some for other reasons. As an example, I go to a health club that only has MSNBC running on the TVs in the locker room. Anyone who says MSNBC is unbiased needs to do some re-evaluation. Everything coming out of the hosts on that network is highly biased, and overly hyped. I also go to another establishment that shows FOX news regularly. While not as overly hyped, they too are biased towards one side. The point here is that the people watching MSNBC don't watch FOX. And vice versa. They have chosen to NOT consider other opinions. They have self selected into polarization. And the overly hyped nature of both media sides gets them all worked up; to the point they have arguments with innocent bystanders, expecting them to think exactly the same way and insulting them when they don't.
So, IMO it's the media who has failed us and helped create the echo chamber condition in the US, which then promotes the polarization. Both sides of the media spectrum. We need an unbiased media that reports facts and doesn't get into opinions and editorials. And a media that doesn't tell us what to think. Until then we have to start thinking for ourselves.