Through both of my past posts, I have talked about how social media has become so polarized but never explained why. The truth is there are multiple different theories on why social media has become such a hateful and polarized environment over very recent years. It was not until the most recent elections that I have been able to observe such hateful comments from one side to the other. I have only been able to participate in one election, but I have been observing different debates for awhile. I have seen an increase in hateful comments made by people young and old.  In this blog post, I will be going through the multiple different theories that could potentially be the cause of this problem.

The first major indicator of polarization could be seen once the pandemic hit. There was a clear divide between the belief in covid and what was to be expected of them. Many people felt that staying home and quarantining was the best way to handle covid and stop the spread, while others believed it was not as bad as it seemed. Once it hit social media that these polarizing sides existed the issue took off. It was often seen that each side was calling out the other. The leftists say the reason covid was so bad was due to the conservatives not listening to the government. The conservatives stated the reason for the economic failure was due to the fact that people were being forcefully kept in their homes. The New Yorker wrote, “In a Marquette University Law School poll from November, seventy per cent of Democrats said that they considered covid a “serious problem” in their state, compared with only thirty per cent of Republicans”. It was clear after that, that there was a change in the dynamics of how citizens from each side treated each other. Along with this, the leaders of the nation from each side of the party began to use social media to come at the other party. The New Yorker also wrote, “Representative Ronny Jackson, a Texas Republican, labeled the newly detected strain a Democratic trick to justify absentee voting. “Here comes the MEV—the Midterm Election Variant,” Jackson, who served as Physician to the President under Trump and also under Barack Obama, tweeted.” these tweets allowed for citizens to believe it was okay to attack the other side and from their tension began escalating.

Another theory dates much further back to the 1970s. It is believed that due to major political parties becoming aligned with specific ideologies. Brown University wrote an article that stated, “There’s evidence that within the U.S., the two major political parties have become more homogeneous in certain ways, including ideologically and socially,” Shapiro said. “So when you identify with a certain party and you’re looking across the aisle, the people you’re looking at are more different from you than they were a few decades ago.” As time has continued it has only made the political parties more separated. We are unable to see the other side as people instead of only looking at them as the other party. We have seen the conservative side lean more into religious views and are typically “white men”, while the democratic party has begun to represent more people of color, and fewer income families. This divide has created a system where each side does not recognize the other. This then creates a more hostile environment and more polarization in politics. As different parties make their political agenda aligned with more specific traits, it cuts off the connection people see within each other. Instead of seeing someone as a person they see them as the other side. We need to realize that we are all people and citizens of the same country. Not only this we also need to learn and respect those with different opinions.

Finally, the third theory that has been presented has to do with the 2016 and 2020 elections, in these elections we saw countless arguments that went for one’s character rather than what one could bring in the elections. One prime example of this was President Donald Trump making comments about President Joe Biden’s dead son. In previous elections, comments such as this would have been career-ending. But in this day and age, it was accepted in a presidential debate. When people see this action as accepted it creates a space in which opposite parties believe that rude and cruel remarks are accepted. When we see leaders of our country are allowed to make those types of remarks and get away with it, it is a bad example for the citizens of our countries. How are we expected to act towards each other when the leaders of our country do not act as an example?  In this day and age the whole idea of democracy is about winning, not about who is the best candidate. A famous quote from President Donald Trump states, “We’re going to win so much, you may even get tired of winning.” It is clear to see the angle that is taken at politics over the recent years. What matters is what we as citizens can do to stop this before the polarization gets too far.

If you were to ask me what I believe is the reason for such a polarized political environment I would have answered all of the above. Personally, I do not believe we can pinpoint one reason why we have seen such a shift in our politics. We have to take into account that since the 1970’s there has been a shift, that has been amplified in today’s day and age. As the years go on my worry is there will not be a change for the better. I am scared that my grandchildren will live in a world where everyone is at war and there is no peace. We have seen what hate has done in the past, and the effects that it has on people so why do we continue to repeat history?

Works Cited:

Kolbert, Elizabeth. “How Politics Got So Polarized | The New Yorker.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2021, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/01/03/how-politics-got-so-polarized.

Images: