How Personalization is Fragmenting Democracy

Our digital life is perfectly personalized. Ads, news, everything made for ‘me and me alone.’ But as we eliminate what doesn’t fit, what’s left of the world we shared?

We are living in an era of peak personalization. Algorithms work constantly behind the scenes, shaping our online experiences for “Me and Me Alone.” From the ads we see to the news we read, everything is cut to fit.

It sounds like a utopia — a world where information finds us, rather than the other way around. No more sifting through irrelevant content or wading through opposing viewpoints. Just pure, individualized perfection.

But in our pursuit of convenience, it’s worth asking — what are we leaving on the cutting room floor? And more importantly, as our circles shrink, what the fuck happens to our shared reality?

The Illusion of Infinite Choice

The average American adult spends 7 hours and 19 minutes each day glued to social media — that’s longer than most folks sleep. Social media has become our collective nervous system for news, with 48% of U.S. adults getting their information fix from these platforms.

Despite the buffet of information, social media news junkies are less informed about current events and politics than those sticking to traditional…