The internet promised a place where people from diverse backgrounds could find connection and understanding. But has it instead become a deeply polarised medium where echo chambers and ideological extremism make meaningful common ground harder to find than ever?
Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.
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We're joined by Dr Andres Reiljan - political scientist at the European University Institute - whose research into affective polarisation puts him at the exact intersection of politics, psychology, and what the digital world is doing to how we see each other.
In this episode we investigate the mechanics of affective polarisation in a digital age, examine how algorithms amplify divisive sentiment without most people realising it, explore the psychological toll of constant exposure to conflict, and ask whether technology that created the polarisation problem can ever meaningfully solve it.
(00:00) Introduction to affective polarisation
(02:30) What affective polarisation actually means and why it matters
(04:30) The role of politics in driving digital division
(07:05) Party versus leader polarisation: what's the difference?
(09:17) The biggest misconceptions about polarisation
(11:35) How algorithms amplify divisive content
(13:44) Factual belief polarisation: when we can't agree on reality
(16:13) Navigating disagreement with curiosity rather than conflict
(18:02) The outsized influence of loud voices in political discourse
(19:56) The mechanics of how polarisation spreads and sticks
(24:36) Social media's specific role in the polarisation crisis
(29:11) Finding common ground in a fragmented world
(32:24) The psychological toll of living in a polarised environment
(34:06) Practical strategies for overcoming polarisation
(36:09) Can technology be used to combat what technology created?
Key takeaways:
• Shift from Ideological to Affective Polarisation: Modern political division is increasingly driven by a deep-seated, emotional hostility where individuals view political opponents with active dislike and distrust.
• Algorithmic Weaponisation of Outrage: Social media platforms are engineered to treat user attention as a core commodity, with algorithms explicitly designed to maximise engagement by prioritising content that triggers moral outrage and division.
• Exposure in Echo Chambers: Users self-select into highly curated digital echo chambers, insulating them from opposing viewpoints and creating an exaggerated perception of their own group's consensus.
• Erosion of Localized Common Ground: The hyper-globalization of political narratives online has flattened local, nuanced community dynamics, removing the shared baseline facts to build consensus, solve regional problems, or maintain basic civic trust.
If this episode got you thinking, check out:
Trust In Information: The End of Believing Our Own Eyes?
https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/MGMwN2YyNzItZmU3Yy00Njk0LTkxNWYtYmU5NDdkN2VkY2Y3
Music: An Algorithmic Burial of Human Artists?
https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/MGEwYmZiOTUtMTAyNS00ZDA1LTlkNmMtNjlhYjhkNzBjMmQz
Journalism & News: From Fact-Checking to Attention-Seeking?
https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/MmJlMjUwNTAtNDQzNy00ZWQ0LWFkOWYtMTJhM2IwNzM1NGRh
Guest links - Dr Andres Reiljan
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=uBEitnwAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Twitter/X: https://x.com/AReiljan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andres.reiljan
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/areiljan.bsky.social
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