The Digital Decline of Social Capital: How Social Media Amplifies Political Polarization And Why Better Tech is Not the Answer.

Abstract

Political polarization in the US is at an all-time high with some social scientists hypothesizing that the United States has reached a level not seen since the Civil War. Prior research points to multiple contributing factors including the decline of social capital. Social capital, as argued by Robert Putnam in his seminal work, Bowling Alone, is required to maintain individual social bonds, support broader community engagement and reinforce strong democracies. However, with the rise of digital technology, and more specifically, the growth of online social networks in the last 25 years, social capital has been declining, not increasing. This paper will show how these social networks (SNs) have been unable to reproduce the types of networks, norms and trusts that Putnam outlines are required in order to build and maintain social capital while also exploring how these SNs and the algorithms that power them, work to spread mis- and disinformation, surface conspiracy theories and normalize hate speech, all of which have contributed to a rapid rise in political polarization. The paper will also show how these platforms have become a primary source of news and information for the majority of Americans, thereby eliminating trust between users and groups and ultimately reshaping the legacy media landscape. Finally, this paper will examine the critical role these platforms have played in various political campaigns since 2000 and how both major parties have leveraged SNs to fortify epistemic bubbles and echo chambers in an effort to build deep trust within their base (in-groups) while also fostering extreme feelings of anger, distrust and apathy towards supporters of the opposing party (out-groups). The long-term impact of SNs on broader attitudes towards both in-groups and out- groups following the 2024 election continues to evolve but in looking at prior scholarship, there is a need to find alternatives to technological solutions if society hopes to tamp down the fires of extreme political polarization and rebuild the nation’s dwindling supply of social capital.