Group Polarization

The group dynamics on social media are a virtual experience of those in reality. Yet the group processes we carry out via the Internet have very real consequences. For instance, social media can trigger deindividuation, a phenomenon that can lead us to use the Internet in deviant ways. In addition, social media platforms encourage group polarization, which can further divide groups with contrasting views. Nevertheless, social media has greatly contributed to the self-esteem, social identity, and productivity of many individuals due to the ease and convenience of organizing and joining groups online.

As a whole, social media is a collective of people. There are millions of people using social media whom have never spoken to one another before, making them altogether low in cohesion and low in organization. However, within social media, there are smaller numbers of individuals who interact regularly and share values and behaviors. Collectively, these people are considered groups. Just

This effect is defined as “the exaggeration of initial tendencies in the thinking of group members through group discussion” (314). We tend to surround ourselves with others who think similarly to how we do, including in online situations. We typically add Facebook friends or follow Twitter users who share our views, meaning that they may belong to the same political or religious group as we do. Constantly seeing and discussing social media posts that reinforce our own views can cause those views to become exaggerated. One reason for this is described by the social comparison theory. According to this theory, “as individuals learn that most of the other group members lean in one direction on some issue, they may adopt a more extreme attitude in this same direction” (315). Unfortunately, this can lead us further away from compromising with outgroups that have views that oppose our