APS

2026 APS Annual Convention · 2026

Inside the Funhouse Mirror: How Social Media Reflects False Polarization

Barcelona, Spain · May 2026

Integrative Science Symposia (ISS)

  • 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.

← Safeguarding Democracy: Polarization, Populism, and Post-Truth