Why Your Neighbor Seems Crazy

What if the people on the other side of the political divide aren't as extreme as we think they are?

Research from More in Common found that Americans imagine almost twice as many of their political opponents hold extreme views than actually do. The people with the most distorted perceptions aren't the ones tuned out. They're the ones most tuned in. Robert explores how engagement-based algorithms amplify division, why we're disagreeing with fictional versions of each other, and what this means for anyone trying to find common ground. You can't have a peace economy if you can't even talk to each other.

Topics: perception gap, polarization, social media algorithms, Center for Humane Technology, attention economy, common ground, media literacy