[ExI] Are Social Media to blame for USA political hatreds?

[BillK]

Our social dilemma
By Bill Hansmann  October 10, 2020

<https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/10/our_social_dilemma.html>

Quotes:
I watched an extremely troubling movie the other night on the
recommendation of my friend Rich.  It was on Netflix but is also
available on YouTube and is called The Social Dilemma.

We wonder why partisan rancor and political division are at an
unprecedented level in our country.  This film suggests a likely
answer.

We spend a lot of time on social platforms like Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, and others, but not nearly as much time as they spend on
us.  It seems that these platforms are populated and are indeed driven
by algorithms that are individually calibrated to give each user what
the platform decides that person wants to see, demonstrated by his
pushing the "LIKE" buttons.  Liberals get items with a liberal slant.
Conservatives receive stories and items that match their previous
likes.  Those individuals who exhibit a liking of conspiracies get
more of the same, as well as ads designed to sell black helicopters.
----
More and more when considering the opinions of people I know, I ask
myself, How can they think that way?  How can they believe that?  They
are, in fact, being programmed to feel that way by their interactions
with their social media.  And unfortunately, I am receiving the same
treatment, with different modalities resulting in a different mindset.
---------------------

Maybe not the complete answer, but certainly a big contributor to the problem.
(And I would include the news reporting monopolies in social media
manipulation).

BillK