The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge Your Turn - Is Social Media A Cancer?
Sep 18, 2025
The discussion explores the evolving nature of social media, once hailed as a community tool, now criticized for fostering division. Listeners share strong arguments about how algorithms and anonymity have led to echo chambers. A satirical rant takes aim at Jimmy Kimmel's exit from ABC, adding a humorous twist to the conversation. Moreover, themes of free speech, mental health, and personal responsibility surface, highlighting the complex relationship individuals have with these platforms.
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Algorithms Hijacked Social Connection
- Many callers argued social media began as community-building but was hijacked by profit-driven algorithms.
- Listeners linked algorithmic amplification to echo chambers, polarization, and mental-health harms.
Teach Social Media Literacy In Schools
- Introduce formal education on social media to teach safe, critical use to students.
- Schools can equip young people to control their feeds and resist harmful content.
Algorithms, Not Users, Drive Harm
- Callers identified algorithms that prioritize engagement as the core problem, not users themselves.
- They argued regulating algorithms and giving users more control would restore healthier discourse.
