Americans yearn for normalcy after divisive 2020 elecions

MEDIA-FANNED FLAMES

Liberal and conservative divisions were further intensified with the advent of social media.

West said digital technology "makes national divisions worse because it enables extremism and polarization and creates echo chambers of like-minded individuals."

Clay Ramsay, a researcher at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, told Xinhua that social media platforms have a business interest in keeping people on digital devices for hours.

Companies have found that letting each click offer new links that go farther in the same direction is effective for retaining users, Ramsay said.

"So the algorithm itself nudges people toward extreme views, and then toward fact-free, conspiratorial notions," he said.

Meanwhile, right-wing and left-wing politicians have utilized cyberspace more effectively than others. "The algorithms complement these politicians' tactics," Ramsay said.

Critics charged conservative media with providing a cheering squad for President Trump, while the president' supporters said liberal media reporters become unhinged and hysterical at the mere mentioning of his name.

West said coverage is "more polarized than in the past and that makes it harder for people to distinguish fake from real news."

LONG WAY AHEAD

Polarization is deep-seated in US society, but experts said it may subside somewhat.

Sally Radcliff, a retired health professional in rural New Jersey, said she left a major city because of high crime rates to move to a more rural area of New Jersey.

She is a big Trump supporter, as are many of her neighbors, who proudly displayed Trump signs in their yards during the campaign. In Washington D.C. and New York City, Trump signs are a rarity, and draw visceral reactions from locals.

But once the dust cleared, the elections showed that Americans desired normalcy above all else, and yearn for more economic opportunities in rural areas and low-income parts of inner cities.

"In order to reduce polarization, leaders have to address the root causes of voter dissatisfaction," West said.

At the same time, divisions between conservatives and liberals are not as intense as they might seem.

"Survey research suggests that around a third of Americans don't identify with either label, and hold varying views on various issues," Ramsay said.