Algorithms: Mind Control, Too 1984? Maybe Not.
With the polarization between Americans, I’ve been thinking about how much algorithms and media (social media and podcast bubbles, and streaming News) shape the way people see the world. The basic idea is that platforms (like YouTube, FaceBook, Tik Tok) are designed to keep us watching. If we click on one political video, the algorithm assumes you want more, and then it’ll recommend stronger or more emotional content because fear works on the brain in ways that keep you tuning in. Over time, that can box people into a loop where they’re mainly seeing one side of things, and ofc it’s framed as dramatic as possible.
On the right, that cycle def leans on fear and grievances. Conservatives, in general, tend to value structure, tradition (the appeal of a paternal religion as an example), and caution … traits that make them more alert to “threats.” Media outlets know this, so they push recycled stories that exaggerate crime by immigrants or frame social changes as dangerous and the end of civilization, e.g., the rebranding of basic social safety nets (healthcare, fair wages, affordable college, etc.) as “radical socialism takeover”. The scarier or angrier the story, the more people tune in, and the more money those outlets and rage-farming influencers make. It’s a business model built on outrage and fear.
That’s why you see these cray narratives like Trump repeated claims that immigrants were “eating dogs.” It’s not about facts; it’s about feeding into existing fears to keep viewers hooked. Attention =. currency.
When both politics and media are set up this way, it divides people. One side is fed constant fear and suspicion, while the other side gets frustrated at the distortion. It’s less about individual people being “bad” and more about how the system profits from division.
It isn’t that we are divided, it is more like media is dividing us for profit because it sells. Of course some politicians inflame divisions because it keeps us distracted from the policies they’re creating. “Look over there while we steal your healthcare.” Project 2025, page 243.