Yesterday I finished Jill Lepore's long book - These Truths - and this publication here on Substack helps to round out the panorama beyond that book (since it covers the year 2017).
Indeed, the intertwining of communication techniques and politics produces sweeping transformations. And when political leaders organize their policies based on this context, we all suffer in some way.
Thanks for the kind note and the thoughtful feedback. I’ll check out These Truths — thanks for the recommendation. I completely agree about how changes in communication are reshaping politics and impacting everyone. I’m sure you see many examples of this in Brazil, just as we do here in the US.
Between 2019 and 2022, we had a president whose only campaign promise was ultimately fulfilled: "We're going to put an end to all this." Polarization, combined with an incompetent president, essentially resulted in destruction.
“Like” doesn’t feel like the right button here, there needs to be an “I feel you” button. It can feel tough to imagine coming back from all of this, and some days the work feels small or even futile, but I think we have to keep showing up to help people find their way back to a place where we can talk, understand, and rebuild empathy.
What bothers me most about the subject you're writing on is I have to ask if you are a bot. I think you're human because I found you via Jonathon Haidt. But what a world that I have to even ask the question. In my life the internet has gone from being Jedi knights creating a better world to Darth Vader Open AI and the rest of these super predators. It is an extinction business model. I'm more engaged when people are talking about homelessness and losses and joys being right here. Love this conversation with Nate Hagens and Stephen Wilkinson. I'd recommend putting Nate on your list of podcasts you could get on and talk about your world view https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgWpq66LuWY&t=94s
You're following my recommendations for verifying content! :) I'm not a bot and and I hear you on how things feel right now. Thanks for sharing the podcast rec, I will give it a listen.
Modern media doesn’t just reinforce beliefs—it intensifies them. Visceral worldviews form early, shaped by parents, relatives, and close friends. Today, these formative influences are amplified and “supercharged” by personalized media and algorithms, embedding a child’s perspective deeply before they encounter the broader society that might have moderated it. Thereafter, exposure to opposing views rarely swings opinions; it often deepens existing commitments, polarizing us in ways previous generations never experienced.
It is rare to find a 18 year old that wears a MAGA hat that burns it in a bon fire at 23. It used to be not uncommon for a child raised in a republican household to go off to college and drift left. Why? Because the “ right” had not been so deeply indoctrinated.
I think you’re exactly right. It’s not just that media feels more polarized now, it’s that kids are getting pulled into those bubbles so much earlier. With preteens on social media consuming a constant stream of tailored content, it’s hard to imagine the shifts in thinking past generations had playing out the same way today.
(I'm writing from Brazil)
Yesterday I finished Jill Lepore's long book - These Truths - and this publication here on Substack helps to round out the panorama beyond that book (since it covers the year 2017).
Indeed, the intertwining of communication techniques and politics produces sweeping transformations. And when political leaders organize their policies based on this context, we all suffer in some way.
Thank you for providing such excellent writing.
Thanks for the kind note and the thoughtful feedback. I’ll check out These Truths — thanks for the recommendation. I completely agree about how changes in communication are reshaping politics and impacting everyone. I’m sure you see many examples of this in Brazil, just as we do here in the US.
Between 2019 and 2022, we had a president whose only campaign promise was ultimately fulfilled: "We're going to put an end to all this." Polarization, combined with an incompetent president, essentially resulted in destruction.
“Like” doesn’t feel like the right button here, there needs to be an “I feel you” button. It can feel tough to imagine coming back from all of this, and some days the work feels small or even futile, but I think we have to keep showing up to help people find their way back to a place where we can talk, understand, and rebuild empathy.
Thanks. That was a lot of work writing. Will share and think about it more.
What bothers me most about the subject you're writing on is I have to ask if you are a bot. I think you're human because I found you via Jonathon Haidt. But what a world that I have to even ask the question. In my life the internet has gone from being Jedi knights creating a better world to Darth Vader Open AI and the rest of these super predators. It is an extinction business model. I'm more engaged when people are talking about homelessness and losses and joys being right here. Love this conversation with Nate Hagens and Stephen Wilkinson. I'd recommend putting Nate on your list of podcasts you could get on and talk about your world view https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgWpq66LuWY&t=94s
You're following my recommendations for verifying content! :) I'm not a bot and and I hear you on how things feel right now. Thanks for sharing the podcast rec, I will give it a listen.
I can vouch for Mandy, and she is not a bot. But who’s going to vouch for me? 🤔
I will obey! :)
Modern media doesn’t just reinforce beliefs—it intensifies them. Visceral worldviews form early, shaped by parents, relatives, and close friends. Today, these formative influences are amplified and “supercharged” by personalized media and algorithms, embedding a child’s perspective deeply before they encounter the broader society that might have moderated it. Thereafter, exposure to opposing views rarely swings opinions; it often deepens existing commitments, polarizing us in ways previous generations never experienced.
It is rare to find a 18 year old that wears a MAGA hat that burns it in a bon fire at 23. It used to be not uncommon for a child raised in a republican household to go off to college and drift left. Why? Because the “ right” had not been so deeply indoctrinated.
I think you’re exactly right. It’s not just that media feels more polarized now, it’s that kids are getting pulled into those bubbles so much earlier. With preteens on social media consuming a constant stream of tailored content, it’s hard to imagine the shifts in thinking past generations had playing out the same way today.