Free communication leads to reduced extremism

An interesting finding countering the received wisdom of the establishment. From Right-Wing Populism, Social Media and Echo Chambers in Western Democracies by Shelley Boulianne, Karolina Koc-Michalska, Bruce Bimber. Interesting that it covers France, UK, and USA. From the Abstract:

Many observers are concerned that echo chamber effects in digital media are contributing to the polarization of publics and in some places to the rise of right-wing populism. This study employs survey data collected in France, the United Kingdom, and United States (1500 respondents in each country) from April to May 2017. Overall, we do not find evidence that online/social media explain support for right-wing populist candidates and parties. Instead, in the USA, use of online media decreases support for right-wing populism. Looking specifically at echo chambers measures, we find offline discussion with those who are similar in race, ethnicity, and class positively correlates with support for populist candidates and parties in the UK and France. The findings challenge claims about the role of social media and the rise of populism.

I am deeply skeptical about much of the establishment commentary on right-wing extremism, populism, and nationalism. There are some potentially real issues in there but the phenomenon tends to be more narrow than usually described and the effect sizes much smaller. It is not so much that the establishment chattering is wrong. It is that they are incomplete and not right.

And while obsessing about putative violent right-wing extremism, populism, and nationalism, they turn a blind eye to the much more prevalent and better documented violence of the far left such as Antifa and its associates.