Social Media

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Laikipia University *

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C231

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Sociology

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Nov 24, 2024

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1 Social Media's Effect on Our Opinions Student's Name Institutional Affiliation Course Code and Name Instructor Name Due Date

2 Social Media's Effect on Our Opinions The influence of social media on contemporary culture has grown, affecting how people communicate and absorb information. While there are no doubt many advantages, there are rising worries about how it may affect our capacity to have meaningful interactions with others who have different beliefs than we do. In this article, I will argue that social media has made engaging in fruitful debates with others more challenging since it might skew one's perspective, make one tired, and lessen one's willingness to challenge beliefs. Social media have negatively impacted our capacity to conduct meaningful interactions partly because it has altered our points of view. Based on our browsing history and prior interactions, social media companies like Facebook and Twitter employ algorithms to provide us with the material they believe we would find interesting. This can help us learn about novel concepts and viewpoints, but it can also result in a phenomenon known as the "filter bubble." In this bubble, we are only exposed to ideas that agree with our own, and instead of testing our beliefs, they are reinforced. This might make it challenging for us to interact with someone with opposing views since we might not have the necessary information or understanding to appreciate their viewpoint completely. Social media has the power to confine our minds as well as alter our perspectives. It is because social media algorithms favor postings likely to spark discussion, such as those that elicit strong feelings or are likely to become viral. As a result, sensational and divisive information, such as false news and unfavorable political advertisements, thrives on social media. We may become more closed-minded and opposed to new ideas due to this sort of information created to appeal to our emotions rather than our intellect. We are less inclined to seek out different viewpoints or have fruitful dialogues with people whose opinions differ when exposed to material that reinforces our preexisting prejudices.

3 Social media may also make us less ready to question disagreeing ideas. This is because social media algorithms are made to keep us active on the site for as long as possible by displaying information likely to elicit favorable responses. As a result, social media users are encouraged to steer clear of divisive or contentious subjects and concentrate on posts that are more likely to receive likes and favorable comments. This might make it challenging for us to discuss with others whose viewpoints differ from our own because we might be afraid to dispute their beliefs out of concern that doing so could offend or provoke a negative response. The 2016 US Presidential Election is one instance of how social media has harmed our capacity for meaningful discourse. According to NPR, false news articles and sensational material circulated quickly across social media channels, significantly influencing public opinion during the election (Sanders, 2016). This led to a sharp polarization of the political landscape, making it challenging for persons on either side of the political spectrum to have fruitful discussions with others whose opinions varied. Similarly, Research by Gentzkow and Shapiro (2018) discovered that exposure to false news items on social media substantially affected people's political opinions, making them more steadfast in their existing ideas and less receptive to different viewpoints. Negative ads can also lead people to view the world in a more polarized way, reducing their willingness to consider alternative perspectives (Wihbey & Memoli, 2022). This type of simplistic thinking can make engaging in nuanced discussions with people with different opinions challenging. Social media can also reduce people's willingness to challenge their views and consider alternative perspectives. Memes and other visual content often shared on social media can reinforce existing beliefs and opinions. For example, a tweet from the account "Trump Memes" that features a photo of Donald Trump with the text "If you don't like our President, then you can

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4 leave" is likely to be shared by people who already support Trump and to be dismissed by those who do not (Memes, 2017). This type of content can create an atmosphere where it is difficult to have open and honest conversations about political issues Finally, social media can reduce people's willingness to challenge their views and consider alternative perspectives. Memes and other visual content often shared on social media can reinforce existing beliefs and opinions. For example, a tweet from the account "Trump Memes" that features a photo of Donald Trump with the text "If you don't like our President, then you can leave" is likely to be shared by people who already support Trump and be dismissed by those who do not (Memes, 2017). This type of content can create an atmosphere where it is difficult to have open and honest conversations about political issues. I'll provide two visual sources from social media to support my points. The first illustration is a political cartoon from the 2016 presidential election that was widely shared on social media. In the comic, two people are shown standing on either side of a fence with the words "Trump" or "Hillary" written. The people are seen shouting at one another while covering their eyes and plugging their ears. This cartoon exemplifies how social media can turn into echo chambers where we only hear opinions that agree with our own. It is challenging to have a meaningful dialogue with the people in the comic because they are so firmly attached to their viewpoints that they cannot entertain opposing ones. Another example is a meme circulated on social media during the 2020 presidential election. The image's caption, which features a person carrying a sign that reads "Stop the Steal," reads, "When someone has completely lost touch with reality." This meme exemplifies how social media can impair our ability to have meaningful conversations with people by making us

5 more closed-minded. It would be challenging to productively discuss the election results with the sign-holder because they appear to be utterly detached from reality. Visual Resources:

6 References Allcott, H., & Gentzkow, M. (2017). Social media and fake news in the 2016 election - stanford university. Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 Election. Retrieved February 13, 2023, from https://web.stanford.edu/~gentzkow/research/fakenews.pdf Memes, D. T. (2017). Trump Meme. Twitter. Retrieved February 13, 2023, from https://twitter.com/Trump_Memes_/status/922989661726871552/photo/1 . Sanders, S. (2016, November 8). Did social media ruin election 2016? NPR. Retrieved February 12, 2023, from https://www.npr.org/2016/11/08/500686320/did-socialmedia-ruin- election-2016 Wihbey, D.-M. O. and J. (2022, June 3). Negative political ads and their effect on voters: Updated collection of Research. The Journalist's Resource. Retrieved February 12, 2023, from https://journalistsresource.org/politics-andgovernment/negative-political-ads- effects-voters-research-roundup/

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