So much of the recent polarization in our society can be attributed to social media algorithms. TikTok, YouTube and Elon Musk’s X are designed to silo users into political camps. If you engage with one post, the platforms will serve you more inflammatory content along the same lines, until you are sealed in an angry echo chamber.
I confess I sometimes fall into that trap, but I’m old enough to seek other sources of information, too. I grew up reading printed newspapers and tend to trust legacy media outlets to curate what I read, seeking out good reporting and smart opinion from outlets with a variety of viewpoints.
Today’s teenagers and young adults have no such muscle memory. Social media is often their first and only portal to news and information. Can this trend be stopped? How do we empower young people to access good, reliable information?
We will discuss those topics and more at the Maclean’s Ideas Summit next week on Wednesday February 26th at the lovely Gardiner Museum in central Toronto. Tickets are just $25 each and you can buy one here. The evening will involve wine, canapés, networking and really big ideas from a group of smart, engaged Canadian thinkers. I’m particularly looking forward to the panel on how young people can navigate a digital landscape marked by instability, polarization and information overload. Hope to see you there.
—Sarah Fulford, editor-in-chief
