Deep Dive Prompt
It is well documented that social media plays a large part in how we learn about and make sense of global, life events. There was a brief survey a few years back that indicated that younger generations are turning to social media to be informed on the latest news more than watching the news on television or reading a newspaper (both in print and online).
We also have discussed previously the concepts of group polarization, the power of implicit bias, and the psychological comforts of confirmation bias (which I might add does a decent job and keeping cognitive dissonance at bay). We all understand that at some level we are motivated to feel like we are good people. And so, we show in our actions, our words, and most importantly, our decisions to assert that we are on the “right side of history”.
Using references to the course textbook as well as scholarly research publications (remember that you need two sources minimum) think of some ways that we can utilize social media to practice empathy and understanding. Spend some time thinking about how the exercise of conforming shows up in social media and how it often leads to polarizing behavioral responses.