Life
How Social Media’s Algorithm Created The Great Divide in The World
A wise man once said, “In much wisdom is much grief”
When was the last time you sat down and had a civil conversation with a person? Just two people over a cup of coffee, catching up. No agendas, no lobbying — just two friends enjoying a cup of joe and laughing out loud. Yet if you notice, these kinds of catch-ups are becoming increasingly rare. These days, it’s harder and harder to have catch-up sessions without risking losing a friend. Everyone has become so entrenched in their views and opinions over everything.
There was a time when everyone wanted to understand another person’s point of view and find a compromise. Whether you put tea in first or milk in first to create that perfect cup of tea, there was a conversation to be had and a compromise to be found.
However, over time, the nature of conversations shifted. What used to be an exchange of ideas gradually turned into a battle of entrenched positions. Instead of seeking to understand one another, people began adopting divisive slogans like “Either you’re with us or against us” and “My way or the highway.” These once-political rallying cries have seeped into our interactions, fueling polarization. And much of this shift can be traced back to the rise of social media.
Social media has not helped close the divide; in fact, it has exacerbated it. Take the growing debates over health and wellness trends as an example. Whether it’s discussions around diet choices — like veganism versus pescatarians— or fitness methods — such as CrossFit versus traditional weightlifting — social media platforms often amplify extreme viewpoints. Algorithms prioritize content that sparks engagement, typically meaning content that stirs emotions or reinforces existing beliefs.
As a result, people often find themselves in ‘filter bubbles’ where only like-minded opinions are shared, leaving little room for nuance or open dialogue. Instead of fostering tolerance, social media has made it easier for people to become entrenched in their positions, seeing alternative perspectives as threats to their lifestyle choices.
If you’re a Millennial like me, you’ve been around long enough to witness the rise of social media from its infancy, starting with platforms like MySpace, ICQ, and Facebook.
Social media evolved from a place to keep up with friends and share information to a hotbed of misinformation, endless advertisements, and niche content marketing.
Before the days of social media, print journalism was how most people around the world received their information.
Whether it was through a publication, newspaper, magazine, or journal, if a person wanted to find information, it would be from a trusted print media outlet with expert writers who had the background and knowledge to speak on their subjects.
That is not the case today. Influencers, bloggers, and content creators have taken up space as the trusted voices and sources of information. Furthermore, anyone with a phone can now be a “content creator” and have their opinions amplified to the entire world.
Here is where our predicament lies. As humans, we are taught from an early age to verify our sources while we are in our formative years. We were taught how to conduct research for the school paper, how to cite sources, and how to write a narrative to convey our opinions that were backed by evidence, science, and data.
However, a 2021 study conducted by the University of Washington found that high school students still struggle to evaluate the credibility of information online. The study revealed that 75% of students failed to identify credible sources when reviewing news content and advertisements, highlighting the ongoing challenges in digital literacy education. The findings underscore how, despite being “digital natives,” students often lack the skills needed to critically assess the overwhelming amount of content they encounter on social media platforms.
Today, the sources people cite have expanded beyond traditional journalism with verified experts. The norm has shifted from “I read an interesting article in the newspaper the other day about…” to “I saw a TikTok on…”
This is where the divide starts to happen. If you search hard enough, there is always someone out there who can validate even the most baseless opinion. Do you think the world is flat? There’s a TikTok video for that. Do you believe a 70% chocolate bar has more health benefits than a 90% one? There’s someone ready to back you up on that too.
This is why having a simple conversation between two people is getting increasingly hard.
With the rise of nano-influencers, niche marketing, and the thirst for creators to be pushed by social media algorithms, there is no shortage of clickbait and viral videos with no value — or worse, no truth.
In today’s society, it seems that compromise, humanity, and empathy have taken a backseat to division and polarization. The rapid spread of misinformation through social media platforms has exacerbated this trend, creating echo chambers where people are exposed only to information that reinforces their existing beliefs.
For instance, debates over the best way to season a cast iron skillet can quickly escalate into heated arguments online, as people cling to their preferred methods and dismiss alternative approaches.
This erosion of civility and understanding has made it increasingly difficult to engage in constructive dialogue and find common ground.
Everyone wants to be trendy, edgy, and a content creator in whatever their passion is to level up their finances. To stand out, they often skew to the extreme, voicing alternative facts or fake news — because the truth rarely sells these days.
So where do we go from here?
I’m a firm believer that if we want to see change in the world, that change must begin with us. We cannot transform our surroundings without first transforming ourselves and creating the change outwardly.
The first step in closing the divide is to put down our phones and step away from social media.
Doom scrolling might be entertaining, but it’s rarely productive and can contribute to feelings of anxiety, depression, and isolation. Instead, try replacing mindless scrolling with activities that promote connection, empathy, and critical thinking.
This could involve engaging in meaningful conversations with friends and family, volunteering in your community, reading books or articles from diverse perspectives, or learning a new skill.
By limiting our exposure to social media and actively seeking out opportunities for genuine human interaction, we can begin to bridge the divide and foster a more compassionate and understanding society.
Additionally, by prioritizing face-to-face interactions and meaningful conversations with people from different backgrounds and beliefs we diversify our sources of information and foster genuine human connections.
Through these connections and interactions, we can develop a more nuanced understanding of complex issues and resist the temptation to form opinions based on limited or biased information.
Most content on social media platforms is created for one purpose: to generate advertising revenue. Whether it’s a link to an Amazon drawer organizer promoted by an influencer or a cooking recipe linked to a website, almost every piece of content on social media is designed to generate as much revenue as possible.
There’s an old saying: “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” This is still true today. Credible and valuable information comes at a price. Whether it’s a subscription to a reputable media outlet, publication, or magazine, if we want reliable information, we have to be willing to pay for it.
Instead of giving our time and energy to influencers, let’s give it to people who work hard to bring facts to us — writers, journalists, and experts.
Let’s stop passively consuming the content that social media algorithms feed us and start actively seeking credible sources of information.
In humanity’s early days, people sat around fires, discussing the hunt of the day. Later, people sat in taverns, sharing news and inventions over pints. We can continue that tradition of exchanging ideas by having conversations rooted in curiosity rather than “It’s either my way or the highway.” Let’s embrace, “I’d love to hear your opinion on this.”
Social media algorithms will continue to evolve. Niche marketing will keep narrowing and splicing to ensure everyone gets targeted content in their feeds. But we have the power to step away from the extremes. It is our duty to keep having conversations and find balance as humans.
We may live in a divided world, but by reclaiming the art of civil conversation, we can reconnect and rebuild bridges.
Let’s commit to listening with empathy, speaking with respect, and seeking common ground. Together, we can create a future where understanding, compassion, and cooperation prevail.
