In this piece for @TheAtlantic, @jonhaidt and I explore how social media has upended our institutions in the last 10 years. We seek to answer: Why does it feel like everything has gone haywire? And what can be done to fix it? 1/x theatlantic.com/magazine/archi…
@TheAtlantic @JonHaidt The founders of the United States thought a lot about human psychology, and included mechanisms in the Constitution to let passions cool & encourage reflection and deliberation. Many of social media’s features today do exactly the opposite. 2/x
On social media, outrageous content is naturally more viral than other types of content. And indignant disagreement garners nearly twice as much engagement. 3/x 
As a large portion of our discourse is squeezed into the container of social media, all sorts of things collapse: context, nuance, & our ability to see the reaction we’re having on those we offend or hurt. 4/x
While we’re incessantly linked to our social channels, we’re likely losing cultural linkages to the past. #okboomer is a very funny hashtag, but is also one of the most unkind intergenerational trends we've seen. 5/x
What's not funny is research by @Yascha_Mounk showing that nearly a quarter of young people today think that democracy itself is non-essential. 6/x
How did we get here with social media? These features were built because we use them. They're the result of small changes to make our lives easier: Open account creation, one-click viral sharing, likes, and engagement algorithms built to capture attention. 7/x
Taken together we have created a system of contagious outrage that threatens our ability to find consensus. A lot of the product decisions made in silicon valley today will decide democratic outcomes around the world tomorrow. 8/x
Some ways forward, which we'll detail in an upcoming piece:
