Tribalism + Polarization
The Dangers of Tribalism
What is a tribe?
“I’m using the word “tribe” to refer to social networks of people who share common interests or other features, and who (ideally) enjoy the many benefits of social connection through interaction and participation within these networks.”
HIDDEN BRAIN: A CONVERSATION ABOUT LIFE'S UNSEEN PATTERNS
Nature, Nurture, And Your Politics
When most of us think about how we came to our political views, we often give a straightforward answer. We believe our stances on taxes, immigration, or national security are shaped by those around us — our friends, parents, teachers. We assume our life experiences are the root of our political ideologies.
Greg Lukianoff, Jonathan Haidt
The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation for Failure
Something has been going wrong on many college campuses in the last few years. Speakers are shouted down. Students and professors say they are walking on eggshells and are afraid to speak honestly. Rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide are rising. How did this happen?
ARTICLES TO READ
Exposure to opposing views on social media can increase political polarization
Christopher A. Bail, Lisa P. Argyle, Taylor W. Brown, John P. Bumpus, Haohan Chen, M. B. Fallin Hunzaker, Jaemin Lee, Marcus Mann, Friedolin Merhout, and Alexander Volfovsky
Social media sites are often blamed for exacerbating political polarization by creating “echo chambers” that prevent people from being exposed to information that contradicts their preexisting beliefs.
Virtual empathy: Positive and negative impacts of going online upon empathy in young adults
Mark Carrier, Alexander Spradlin, John P. Bunce, Larry D.Rosen. Computers in Human Behavior. Nov 2015.
People can show empathic responses to others online, but at the same time empathy has been declining in young people since technology-based communication has become prevalent.