Public opinion research shows alarming levels of political division in America. Eight in ten adults believe Republicans and Democrats cannot agree not only on policies but on basic facts themselves. New research reveals that social media algorithms significantly contribute to this epistemic fracturing by amplifying content that promotes biased interpretations of factual information.
The study involved over 1,000 X users during the 2024 presidential election. Researchers identified posts containing several types of divisive content, including those presenting biased evaluations of politicized facts. By increasing or decreasing exposure to such content, they demonstrated that algorithmic choices directly influence how much people trust or distrust those with different political identities.
This breakdown in shared reality represents a crisis for democracy. When citizens cannot agree on what is factually true, productive political debate becomes impossible. Rather than arguing about what policies would best address agreed-upon problems, political opponents increasingly inhabit separate information universes where they cannot even concur on what problems exist.
The research showed that exposure to more content presenting biased fact interpretation increased political polarization by amounts that would typically require three years to develop naturally. Conversely, reducing such content decreased polarization by similar magnitudes. This symmetry suggests that current high levels of epistemic division partly reflect algorithmic choices rather than inevitable consequences of political disagreement.
Social media platforms face a crucial decision about their role in democratic society. They can continue optimizing algorithms for engagement, which tends to amplify the most divisive and emotionally provocative content. Or they can redesign systems to promote shared understanding and constructive dialogue, even if this means accepting somewhat lower engagement metrics. The health of democratic institutions may depend on which path they choose.
Americans Can’t Agree on Basic Facts—Social Media Makes It Worse
