Remember when Mom used to say, “Turn off the TV, and go play outside”? America needs to heed that advice. Americans are glued to their screens, addicted to political hate, and becoming more divided. Americans’ natural psychological vulnerabilities are being hijacked for profit as traditional journalism falls out of fashion. Entertainment masquerades as news on televisions full of political commentators paid to tell people what they want to hear, and on phones full of social media apps fed by insidious and narcissistic algorithms. As America barrels towards technology enabled self-destruction, somebody needs to turn off the screens.
Humans are tribal
Psychology tells us that human beings are social and tribal animals. We rely on social groups to provide security. These groups usually involve shared identity or characteristics. Our natural inclination is that people who are like us are safer than others who are different. While most social groups in America might not be formed for physical security anymore, the amygdala still whispers, “Different is dangerous,” and we seek the familiar. While sometimes helpful, these functions have historically led to divisions within society. Think Jim Crow, US Government internment of Japanese Americans, and our current state of distrust and hatred towards our political opponents. Humans are also predisposed to enjoy punishment of the “other”. We have an innate desire to be right, and for others who are not “right,” to be corrected.
Screw the other guy
Have you ever watched a football game and heard someone say, “I hate the (name a sports team)”? Have you heard people scream and cheer when an opposing player is violently hit or crushed by someone wearing the same color jersey as you? While physical sport may be harmless entertainment, it is so fun because it pulls on psychological levers within the viewer. Watching this type of controlled tribal violence can produce feelings of fear, aggression, arousal, and pleasure in the brain’s limbic system. This manufactured mix of violence and pleasure is what makes sports like football, hockey, and mixed martial arts so popular. Now imagine that the “opponent” isn’t a football player, but someone who votes Republican or Democrat. Imagine they practice a different religion. Imagine they are of a different race or carry a different flag.
Entertainment beats journalism
Journalism used to be a newspaper. The most entertaining thing in a newspaper might be a funny cartoon. When the radio entered the world, sound waves started to carry news and entertainment. The television advanced things further, allowing viewers to read, hear, and watch things simultaneously. With the creation of 24/7 television news, entertainment and journalism blurred. Instead of a radio news hour of current events, 24/7 TV stations had to make their journalism last for 24 hours. That’s very difficult to do, and the national TV news became mostly entertainment. Many Americans tune in or stream their favorite programs daily, to the point that their preferred talking head becomes like part of their family. This familiarity creates an emotional attachment with a person they have never met, who is paid to keep viewers’ eyes on the screen with a dizzying blend of fact, opinion, and provocation. Worryingly, Americans who watch the national TV news are strongly attached to these rabble rousers and the swill swirling within their echo chambers.
A thinking, shifting, political hate dealer
Enter the dopamine terminator. Within smart phone applications, there are thinking computer calculations developed by technology companies to monopolize viewers’ attention. More clicks or swipes equals more advertisements and more money for companies. Americans call this, “The algorithm”. Your algorithm changes based on your preferences; it learns who you are and what you like, and it is programmed to serve you more of that. Cat videos, dancing women in sexy outfits, and people denigrating their political opponents are all popular categories. With each video (dopamine hit), the algorithm adjusts and the connection gets stronger, until the user is literally addicted to the application. In addition to contributing to a new age of depression and body image problems, the social media algorithm is guilty of further dividing Americans. Algorithms serve people snippets of curated current events information, opinion, biased political commentary or even disinformation, all disguised as news. As a result, Americans’ views of the world have become fearful, hateful, and further away from reality.
An off button?
American division is having negative effects on society. As far as a potential government solution is concerned, increased regulation could include beefed-up Federal Communications Commission rules on differentiating between news programs and entertainment programs content. An excise tax on 24/7 TV news stations and social media applications is another possible intervention, which would lower the rates of use. The government could also promote documentaries about the harm that 24/7 TV news programs and social media applications do to society. Alternatively, people could seek out news sources that prioritize journalism over entertainment and turn off their devices on their own. Are they strong enough? Let’s hope so.
Pierce Willenbrock , MPP '27 , Generalist
Pierce Willenbrock is a Sanford '27 MPP student concentrating in National Security. He is a General Wayne A. Downing scholar and West Point Combating Terrorism Center fellow.