I miss bookstores. Rather, I miss the opportunity for discovery in a bookstore—that chance to find out about something you did not even know existed. Recently, I stumbled upon a real-life bookstore in Key West. In the hour I spent there, I found a short little book that had an immediate impact on my communication with clients and a very curious coffee table book.
Both were books outside my typical interests and, therefore, outside the parameters of my advertising algorithm. And that is one of the problems. Shows, books, news, feeds—all tailored to your past views, clicks, and likes.
Not only do you never hear a different point of view, but the information you see supports your own point of view so much that you can’t imagine how any thinking person could possibly come to a different conclusion. And you are right.
You are right that a picture has been painted to bring you to the intended conclusion. Facts have been omitted, lines blurred, and outright lies fabricated. And it happens on all sides.
Are you a Coke person or a Pepsi person? A Ford or a Chevy, a Keto or a Vegan, a Right Wing Conspiracy Nut or a Left Wing Woke Marxist? What is your Team?
The problem with extreme polarization in today’s world is that everyone is on a team—several, in fact. Our team must take the opposite position if the other team supports something. Once you put yourself on a team, it makes it very hard to see the problems with your own team.
It’s hard because it’s not just a judgment about your own team; it’s a judgment about yourself and your own decision-making.
Echo chambers are just one of many factors contributing to the polarization of people in the United States and around the world. But echo chambers multiply the impact of many other issues.
There is always some degree of Civil Unrest around the world. But in recent years, civil unrest has come to the West with a frequency and intensity that has not been seen by this generation.
The 2020 pandemic was easily the most divisive topic I have ever witnessed firsthand. Not only did everyone have an opinion, but they physically displayed it one way or another. It was ever-present in all aspects of life in Western Washington, so most people had an emotional reaction to it.
When we are in an emotional state, our amygdala is in charge. That means our prefrontal cortex is not, and logic is absent. In other words, when someone has an emotional reaction, they cannot have a logical conversation or thoughtfully consider additional information.
The death of George Floyd on May 25th, 2020, sparked civil unrest and riots in more than 30 cities in the United States. In Portland, Oregon, they went on for more than 100 days. Portland is only a few hours’ drive from me, yet most of the people I know were completely unaware of the Portland riots. Their echo chamber was reporting a “summer of love.”
Later the Federal Bureau of Investigation would report the “summer of love” had a nearly 30% jump in homicides nationally. It was the largest one-year jump ever.
Since 2017 over 400 significant antigovernment protests have erupted worldwide. More than 132 countries have experienced significant protests. Twenty-three percent of significant protests have lasted more than three months. 135 significant economic antigovernment protests have occurred since 2017.
But I’m sure your Team told you about that. Right?
The point is that Civil Unrest is more common and expected to increase. The death of George Floyd in 2020 set off a wave of events in the United States. The death of Nahel Merzouk in 2023 set off a wave of riots in France lasting for weeks. Both events were unpredictable and led to immediate and violent reactions.
The foundation of protective actions in these explosive, fast-moving situations is having accurate and timely information. You can’t shape a situation or properly react to it without good information.