Do Online Platforms Drown Democracy in Noise?
Hannes Bajohr on Social Media Fragmentation

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Hannes Bajohr
Early-Career Fellow 2022–2023

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O'Sullivan, D. "Social media fragmentation: do online platforms drown democracy in noise?," SWI swissinfo.ch, Feabruary 10, 2025.
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The article "Social media fragmentation: do online platforms drown democracy in noise?" on SWI swissinfo examines how AI-driven content and fragmented social media threaten democratic discourse by overwhelming the digital public sphere and hampering meaningful discussion. It also explores social media’s role in shaping public opinion.

Hannes Bajohr, a former early-career fellow at the Collegium and now a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, highlights that the sheer volume of information on social media platforms can dilute meaningful discourse. He explains that the algorithms often prioritize engagement over substance, creating echo chambers where users mainly encounter content that reinforces their preexisting beliefs. Bajohr warns that this environment undermines the core principles of democracy by limiting exposure to diverse perspectives and fostering polarization.