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Hive Minds and Political Divide in the Digital Age

Part of SciCafe

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Aerial view of a crowd crossing a street. Ryoji Iwata/Unsplash

We have always been a remarkably social species—our moods, ideas, and even our perceptions of reality synchronize without our conscious awareness. The advent of social media and smartphones has amplified these tendencies in ways that spell both promise and peril.

In this online SciCafe, psychologist Sarah Rose Cavanagh discusses our ultra-social natures, the effects of digital magnification, and looming risks, which include echo chambers, political polarization, and conspiracy theories that can have dire consequences on our social systems, including elections.

Museum Curator Rob DeSalle will introduce the online program and join the discussion. 

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