Date of Award

6-2024

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Communication

First Advisor

L. Lusike Mukhongo, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Annette Hamel, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Bryan Abendschein, Ph.D.

Keywords

Echo chambers, intercultural communication, political polarization, social media

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

The uses of social media have expanded with the growing number of platforms and niches that these platforms seek to fulfill. One of the more common uses of many current social media platforms is to engage with politics. Social media platforms have become a political tool to some, with an enormous amount of news and information being shared throughout social media platforms. The increasing use of social media has coincided with an increase in political polarization, with some raising concerns over the ability for certain groups to operate in ideological isolation, referred to as echo chambers, and the role they may play in current political polarization. One political movement that has emerged from this polarization is the Alt-Right. When applied to the context of the Alt-Right, certain communication theories can be applied to better analyze the behavior of its members, including Anxiety-Uncertainty Management Theory, Symbolic Interactionism, and Social Constructionism. After several case studies looking at the Alt-Right and the consequences of the echo chambers it fosters, I propose two research questions inquiring about the nature of social media echo chambers and their impact in relation to political polarization. To answer these questions, a systematic literature review is conducted. Two coding sessions are performed; the first categorizing the sample by their results, and the second seeking to further categorize the sample by their association, or lack thereof, to political polarization. Tables are shown to reflect the findings of these coding sessions, and a discussion of the findings and potential implications follows.

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