The Dangers of Echo Chambers. Critical notice on #Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media

Authors

  • David Bordonaba Plou Universidad de Valparaíso

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5944/endoxa.45.2020.22850

Keywords:

Polarization, echo chambers, group polarization, selective exposure to information, political philosophy.

Abstract

In #Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media, Cass R. Sunstein presents a social phenomenon that has had a significant impact on the debate in politics during the last years: echo chambers. The purpose of this work is to analyze the relationship between this phenomenon and political polarization, something that often goes unnoticed in current political debates. To do this, I will first explain the mechanisms underlying the creation of echo chambers described by Sunstein in his book, then I will examine the problems they may entail. Second, I will analyze the connection between echo chambers and polarization.

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Author Biography

David Bordonaba Plou, Universidad de Valparaíso

Investigador post-doctoral Fondecyt, Universidad de Valparaíso

References

Cohen, Geoffrey L. (2003). “Party Over Policy: The Dominating Impact of Group Influence on Political Beliefs”. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Vol. 85/5, pp. 808-822.

Jamieson, Kathleen H. & Cappella, Joseph N. (2010). Echo Chamber: Rush Limbaugh and the Conservative Media Establishment. New York: Oxford University Press.

Lau et. al (2017). “Effect of Media Environment Diversity and Advertising Tone on Information Search, Selective Exposure, and Affective Polarization”. Political Behavior Vol. 39/1, pp. 231-255.

Myers, David G. & Lamm, Helmut. (1976). “The Group Polarization Phenomenon”. Psychological Bulletin Vol. 83/4, pp. 602-627.

Pariser, E. (2011). The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You. New York: The Penguin Press.

Rogowski, Jon C. & Sutherland, Joseph L. (2015). “How Ideology Fuels Affective Polarization”. Political Behavior Vol. 38/2, pp. 485-508.

Sunstein, Cass R., Hastie, Reid & Schkade, David. (2007). “What Happened on Deliberation Day?” California Law Review Vol. 95/3, pp. 915-40.

Sunstein, Cass R. (2017). #Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

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Published

2020-06-08

How to Cite

Bordonaba Plou, D. (2020). The Dangers of Echo Chambers. Critical notice on #Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media. ENDOXA, (45), 249–260. https://doi.org/10.5944/endoxa.45.2020.22850

Issue

No. 45 (2020)

Section

Comments and Critical Notes

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