The Hidden Drug
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ClientLLYC
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SectorOthers
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ClientLLYC
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SectorOthers
Challenge.
Polarization poses a significant threat in the 21st century, with a rise of up to 40% in the past five years alone. This phenomenon fuels division, anger, and confrontation in society. Its hundreds of millions of incendiary messages trigger the release of dopamine and endorphins in our bodies, activating opioid receptors, causing addiction, and further feeding extreme views.
Impact.
Using Big Data and Artificial Intelligence techniques, we analyzed more than 600 million messages on social media in Spain and Latin America. Working alongside neuroscientists and sociologists, we discovered a 35% increase of polarizing messages in the last five years.
“Great tragedies often occur due to extreme political polarization, where one group fails to comprehend the ideas of another, resulting in a deep-seated hatred that can escalate into acts of violence and even genocide. Polarization, as we have seen countless times, has devastating consequences.”
Solution.
Together with Más Democracia, we put creativity and big data in motion for a campaign to raise awareness about the risks of polarization, which has become a new drug that people consume daily without realizing it.
After analyzing millions of messages and conversations with neuroscientists, sociologists, psychologists, and data experts, we discovered that exposure to polarizing discussions has similar effects to other well-known drugs, causing irritability, addiction, anxiety, and other negative outcomes.
