Impact of Social Media on Perception

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The speaker acknowledges that social media is not solely responsible for polarization in American society; cable television may play a bigger role. However, social media does have a significant impact by creating a sense of constant crisis and alarm. It leads people to share information that affirms their views, causing a cycle of panic and a need for reassurance. The speaker notes that as a journalist, they are often asked to provide clarity and reassurance, but the continuous state of alarm induced by social media makes it challenging to offer reassurance.

Last year, Tyler asked his readers “What Is the Strongest Argument for the Existence of God?” and followed up a few days later with a post outlining why he doesn’t believe in God. New York Times columnist Ross Douthat accepted the implicit challenge, responding to the second post in dialogic form and arguing that theism warrants further consideration.

This in-person dialogue starts along similar lines, covering Douthat’s views on religion and theology, but then moves on to more earth-bound concerns, such as his stance on cats, The Wire vs The Sopranos, why Watership Down is the best modern novel for understanding politics, eating tofu before it was cool, journalism as a trade, why he’s open to weird ideas, the importance of Sam’s Club Republicans, the specter of a Buterlian Jihad, and more.

Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links.

Recorded January 11th, 2018 Other ways to connect

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