Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Jed Rodriguez Social Science

Designed to Divide: How Insular Political Subreddit Forums Reward Political Extremism

Scholars Journal

A growing number of scholars are investigating the influence that social media platforms and their recommendation algorithms have on political polarization. It’s no secret that algorithms often reproduce societal biases and harmful power structures. But what role does platform design have in shaping online hostility and political animosity? Beyond the algorithm, how does the unique platform architecture of a social media platform like Reddit, through its reward system of user generated upvotes and karma, influence this growing political divide? Does Reddit’s platform reward system necessitate political extremism as a necessary rule of membership for insular political online communities? Jed’s research is a mixed methods approach to understanding how Reddit’s platform design shapes group identity formation in two distinct and radically opposed political subreddit forums. Grounded in Feminist Science and Technology Studies, this research emphasizes the importance of critically studying how platform design and reward systems create social incentives for political extremism and dehumanization.