If social media causes polarization, countries with similar platform penetration should show similar political trajectories. Instead, polarization and trust trends vary widely—and sometimes go the other way—across nations, implying local institutions and media ecologies matter more than the apps themselves.
— This undercuts platform‑centric regulation and redirects reform toward domestic institutional design and media systems.
Dan Williams
2025.07.26
100% relevant
Williams argues social media–based explanations 'struggle to explain why these trends are so different (and sometimes reversed) in countries' with comparable platform adoption.
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