Social media effect on political bias?
Fundamental to the definition of conservatism is the notion of protectionism or a defense against those who seek to force harmful change upon a cultural status quo or idealized past. By inference, central to conservatism is the notion of us versus them. This is why conservative policies tend to be protectionist – i.e. border control and so on. Simplifying (and perhaps betraying our political bias) even further it therefore follows that a very basic belief among conservatives is that all people are not good.
This thinking leads to the structures we see among conservatives today – walled gardens, special societies and clubs, guarded communities and so on.
However this runs entirely counter to the framework that is being established by social media. We’ve observed very little discrimination when it comes to social media – most of us will “connect with” or “add to friends” almost anyone who asks. In fact, social media is training us to value more connections not fewer. It is also training us to anticipate new connections or friends rather than fear them. This is a subtle yet quite substantial shift in the world view that we are creating among our young. It is striking that a generation ago, a young girl might have kept a diary locked up in her drawer. Today that same diary will be posted online. It is interesting to wonder how these behaviors will play out as the children who grow up in a world of social media age and begin to vote. It’s a living experiment in nature versus nuture, as conservatives have long held a fertility advantage.