When the first trans-Atlantic cables were laid to connect the U.S. and Europe with the telegraph, it was believed the world would finally begin to understand each other. Similar claims were made with the introduction of radio, the internet and now social media. Facebook long wanted to “make the world more open and connected,” but recently revised this to “Give people the power of community to bring the world closer together.”
Stronger human connections don’t appear to be happening, though. Thirty-one percent of Facebook users have changed their settings to be less connected to friends because of politics.
