Echo Chambers Aren’t New, and They Aren’t the Problem

Whether it is astir the chaotic emergence and return of Donald Trump to nan U.S. presidency aliases nan destructive fury of wars on nan European Union’s borders, a defining characteristic of nan societal media property is simply a inclination to declare that modern moments of situation are without humanities precedent. This wide worry that nan world bid is being overwhelmed by extremist changes is often accompanied by expressions of interest complete nan expected fracturing of democracies into “echo chambers” successful which societal factions adjacent themselves disconnected from nan remainder of society.

Yet nan ardor pinch which galore commentators definitive specified worry complete nan early of nationalist statement ignores really efforts by different communities to conception their ain societal spaces has been an inherent portion of antiauthoritarian life since agelong earlier the advent of societal media.

Fears that factional rivalries will inevitably destruct societal unity person been a recurring taxable among rulers and philosophers since nan earliest states were formed. The domiciled played by nan wider nationalist successful nan governmental life of Ancient Greek metropolis states and nan Roman Republic produced regular flareups of unit betwixt supporters of different patronage networks. Endemic rioting betwixt “Blue” and “Green” fans of charioteering teams successful nan sixth-century Byzantine Empire and deadly disputes betwixt “Guelph” papal loyalists and “Ghibelline” supporters of nan Holy Roman Empire successful 12th-century Italy show really nan fracturing of societies into rival factions continued to style moments of situation galore hundreds of years earlier nan technologies that now specify 21st-century governmental life emerged.