SciCafe: Digital Divides

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

7 pm

Two thumbs in close up, tapping on a bright phone screen. Thumbs up and heart emojis float above, depicting the likes and loves of social media.
© Urupong/iStock.com
Digital platforms are a powerful force amplifying and fueling division.  

Join Homa Hosseinmardi, assistant professor in the UCLA College of Social Sciences, and John Jost, professor and co-director of the Center for Social and Political Behavior at New York University, as they explore the “how” and “why” of the ways in which society interacts with digital tools, including social media, and how they play a role in rising social and political divisions.  

Hosseinmardi and Jost will unpack various digital tech features—from user characteristics and preferences to algorithmic design and content production — that can contribute to ideological divisions and radicalization. Together they will lead a discussion about how we can use this deeper understanding to glean insights into strategies for bridging divides to foster a more informed and cohesive society. 

Resources for SciCafe’s Frequent Geeks  

Quick Picks: Estimating the Effect of YouTube and Cognitive–motivational mechanisms of political polarization in social-communicative contexts | Nature Reviews Psychology

Big Bite: Dashboard for Examining the consumption of radical content on YouTube

Deep Dive: Ideological asymmetries in online hostility, intimidation, obscenity, and prejudice

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