The study The Hidden Drug defines polarization as a new secret drug that is highly addictive. From a social psychology point of view, polarization is described as a process by which differences of opinion between two or more groups become progressively large and extreme.
Becoming polarized is a complex process. It requires the interaction between individual and social factors. It arises in a context of political, economic and social adversity, such as our current one (a pandemic, war in Ukraine, energy crisis, etc.) and mainly affects individuals with a tendency towards a rigid thinking. This type of cognitive distortion is characteristic of people who oversimplify reality and perceive it without any of its nuances. Summarizing information into simple categories gives them control over the situation. Normally, reality makes beliefs more flexible. The problem nowadays is that we are exposed to what we want to see or confirm, and thus, this process of flexibilization is interrupted. Social media subject us to a confirmation bias that makes those with a tendency for polarization feel more comfortable because there are others who think like them. In his book The righteous mind, Jonathan Heidt says that social media allows us to group ourselves into echo chambers with similar audiences in which we want to reaffirm ourselves.
Even though no one is exempt from polarization, some people are more linked to it than others. Polarization is characteristic of people with rigid thinking tendencies, little tolerance to frustration, fear of uncertainty and a lower satisfaction in life. Polarization fills big voids because it is an excuse not to think. Polarized people build the better part of their identity on these conclusive classifications. They resist abandoning their ideas even if reality may prove them wrong. It is as if they become one with their thoughts, because life depends on what they think. Besides helping them build their own identity, polarization also helps in being labeled as a member of a group. Several social psychology experiments, much like Milgram’s or Zimbardo’s, have proven that when subjects are assigned to a group at random, certain people are capable of adopting extreme behaviors because that is what is expected of them. The desire to belong blinds reality.
Polarized people think that it’s the others that are polarized, not themselves. Polarization can lead to making inadequate, irresponsible and/or unethical decisions. It emotionally affects mental health because it fosters more hostility and/or ire feelings, which correlate to less well-being and a lower amount of positive emotions. Socially, polarization creates social rupture. It causes a social division between opposing value groups where people are asked to take a step beyond or adopt an extreme position that lacks real reflection on the facts. Current polarized narratives also tend to a victimhood, as emotions themselves justify that others may have wanted to cause harm or unease.
The more polarized people are, the more open they are to spread misinformation.
Exposure to this type of toxic content is addictive from its more basic emotions, like fear and rage. This is encouraged in environmental conditions where anonymity prevails. The more radical the polarized person’s message is, the better their point of view is positioned. It becomes a dangerous habit that is hard to get rid of because it is addictive. The polarized person enjoys the instant gratification but does not measure the long-term consequences. They want to flee from negative emotional states –like worry or disappointment– by looking for a message of approval that will make them feel accepted or recognized. However, in the long run they can also invest so much of their time in reaffirming their ideas, that it ends up interfering with their family, social and work life. When the polarized person is not consuming polarized content, they feel a sort of withdrawal that makes them want to increase exposure time and ultimately lose control.
For all these reasons, we need to point out measures that will help us prevent polarization and avoid it spreading further. First, we must all be aware that no one is immune to this process. This is a big challenge in itself because it forces us not to trust our tribes and see things in gray instead of black or white. Art and literature also increase the possibilities for abstraction. Another effective measure would be to reduce the amount of time spent on social media, as well as making conscious use of them. A way to do this would be to reflect on our motives before sharing content or being wary of pieces of news that cause very strong emotional reactions. It is also useful to read different sources of information and to reach out to people that have different opinions simply out of curiosity. Most people worry about the same issues, even though they may take it upon themselves to speak in the name of a political party or an acronym.
Patricia Fernández Martín Psicóloga clínica en el Hospital Ramón y Cajal
