Blindfolded and submerged in a pool, I shout “Marco!” If I do so correctly, my network of acquaintances sends back an encouraging chorus. “Polo! Polo! Polo!” Participating on social media is only secondarily about sharing new information; it is primarily about maintaining and reinforcing common bonds. The danger is that, in the process, what was once a nationwide conversation fragments beyond repair. People begin to embrace tribal epistemologies in which the truth itself has less to do with facts and empirical observation than with who is speaking and the degree to which their message aligns
...more
