APS
2026 APS Annual Convention · 2026
Inside the Funhouse Mirror: How Social Media Reflects False Polarization
- Jay Van Bavel
New York University
Abstract
I explain how modern technology interacts with human psychology to create a funhouse mirror version of public opinion. The political expressions we see on social media are far more extreme than most people privately believe and this creates false polarization. I discuss the implications for accurate perceptions and democratic support.
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