Extreme Views Can Amplify Polarization

Public opinion data plays a central role in venture capital legend Mary Meeker's annual Internet Trends Report, and this year is no exception. For example, her analysis of Internet usage reveals deep ambivalence with living our lives online. A growing share of adults are online "almost constantly" and are as mindful of the Internet's benefits as they are of its drawbacks. Perhaps most worrisome is her analysis of the Internet's contributions to polarization and the rise of conspiracy groups, whose beliefs become more extreme and rigid as they interact in distinct online communities.