Read on Twitter
So, we're seeing a bunch of tweets about how this entire thing was a long time coming, holding Trump and his supporters accountable, etc. But not a lot of discussion about how social media has led us here. 
https://twitter.com/quayys/status/1346915575889600515
https://twitter.com/quayys/status/1346915575889600515
This was discussed in the Social Dilemma on Netflix, but its worth noting the need to hold Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, etc accountable for political polarization as well.
The internet makes it easy to create echo chambers - communities where the likeminded find each other and amplify extremist views. Ranking algorithms generate "bubbles" where people are exposed to similar views, reinforcing their own political views. Its a reinforcement of bias.
We call this cyberbalkanization, a segregation of the internet into niche, narrow-minded groups. While it could have shrunk geographic distances and ideological diversity, instead we have a more fragmented society through enclave deliberation.
Enclave deliberation, where you only discuss with others with similar ideological view points has been called a "breeding ground for extremism" with the ability to put political stability at risk. When a group becomes more homogenous, you restrict the argument pool.
Interesting tidbit: a more diverse group generally solves problems better, even if the overall intelligence of their group members is "lower."
Intellectual humility (IH) is the ability of one to recognize that their personal beliefs may be incorrect. One's IH decreases the further they go into a homogenous group.
Higher intellectual humility is related to lower affective political polarization. Low IH is correlated with the belief that those with opposing views are unintelligent and morally bankrupt.
Social media and the internet more generally have been directly lowering people's IH for decades. White supremacy is real, and the internet has only helped it dig its roots deeper.
