Though each individual’s story has its own unique turns, there are some common points that have to do with how social media can amplify certain elements of human nature. Finally, social media platforms use color and sound to reward engagement, which humans naturally seek out. The radicalization is happening at a very young age,” said Sanjana Hattotuwa, a researcher at the Colombo-based Center for Policy Alternatives, which tracks online hate speech. Such ideas can naturally proliferate on social media algorithms, by indulging anger against vulnerable targets and us-versus-them tribalism. The problem arises when negative, tribal emotions begin to permeate social media, which increasingly dominates users’ lives and therefore shapes their perceptions of the world offline.

Source: New York Times April 25, 2018 21:13 UTC