Othering without belonging: Polarisation and identity in the social media age

Abstract

We live in an increasingly polarised world. This paper draws on CMM’s LUUUTT model to explore how polarisation is co-constructed in the process of communication. While humans have always engaged in in-group ‘Othering’ of outsiders as a means of asserting identity and belonging, the digital revolution brought about a radical shift in the way these Othering stories are told. Social media platforms have removed physical, temporal and psychological barriers to engaging directly with the ‘Other’ in extended episodes of ‘moral conflict’. Devoting a greater portion of one’s life to ‘doing’ conflict has profound implications for an individual’s self-concept and perception of the world around them. The tragedy is that the polarisation and division played out over social media rarely delivers the yearned for sense of belonging: The ‘us’ that people seek online remains ultimately chimeric, as acceptability and affiliation is achieved at the expense of authenticity and genuine connection.