Political polarization: Let’s talk about it

By: Sydney Armstrong, Delta College Student Submission

Political polarization is when individuals have become super divided in their political views. For example, if two groups move further and further apart in their political ideologies, they will not be able to find even an essence of a middle ground. This makes it hard for them to agree on anything, and it tends to lead to arguments and little to no compromise. And it seems to be increasing within the recent years of our democracy.

Political polarization is increasing for many reasons; one of the main causes is social media. Social media spreads mass amounts of misinformation and only shows people what the algorithm thinks they will want to see. This causes an echo chamber where they only see opinions and or news that matches their own.

Another reason political polarization has increased is from political parties themselves. Political parties and leaders use the division between both parties to try and motivate their base and it tends to push people further apart. The economic state can also affect the divide between parties because of things such as inequality and cultural differences. This makes it even harder for people to find common ground. 

Now as a democracy, we will never be able to stop political polarization as our Constitution is built on having our own beliefs. But there are some ways we can help the divide. One of the first and most important things we can do is to promote respectful conversations. Meaning, we should listen to each other and try to understand different viewpoints. This can help reduce tensions and will inevitably help everyone become more informed on political views. 

Lastly, another effective way to keep the divide from increasing would be to inform people on how to spot fake news. If people are informed by the facts, it will stop misinformation from being spread and consumed.