NewRoFoundation

Lily Spertus Newman pulled her research project right out of the national zeitgeist – the rampant divisiveness and political hostility on social media that dominates discourse in the United States these days.

Why, she wondered, would a person who holds a particular point of view post something on social media if it was only going to be seen by others who hold the same view? “There are people who are posting things that are clearly not creating a dialogue, so I wondered why they were being posted,” she said. Was it the need to be validated? To feel good about yourself?

To delve into the topic, she looked through 927 responses to a survey she disseminated online. She asked people’s political beliefs, their ages and genders and assessed how tolerant they were of other views.

“If you are surrounded by people more like-minded to you, then you are more likely to believe that your views are moderate,” she found.

The aim of her research could hardly be more topical. It could help identify patterns of political intolerance and may speak to the issue of cyberbullying.

“Shedding light on this issue might also help us find a solution to the polarization and get us back to productive and civil conversations,” she said.