With over 60% of the world’s population connected to
the internet, cyberspace has become an unprecedented leveller, breaking down barriers, freeing
up information, and exposing people to diverse opinions and views on local and global issues.
Fuelled by the phenomenal growth of social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram,
Facebook, Twitter, etc., the net is also sprouting groups of like-minded individuals who feed
on each other’s content and hothouse thoughts, feelings, beliefs and convictions, amplifying and reinforcing
them in an echo chamber effect. Cyberspace has become home to hundreds of millions of these
relatively insulated groups that I refer to as “social cloisters”.
Social cloisters are vulnerable to misinformation or “fake news”, as social
networks eschew wider editorial responsibility for the content they distribute. The echoes
within cloisters, and the resulting amplification of views, thoughts and feelings, clouded by
misinformation, has led to hyper-partisan behaviours, with members embracing sharply polarized
beliefs and convictions on various subjects while suppressing or underrepresenting opposing
views.
Social cloistering is having a profound influence on society as a whole, as seen
by events across the globe. Take for instance the US elections of 2016 and 2020 where the
citizens of the United States stood divided in their beliefs on several “facts” including
whether or not the 2020 election was “stolen”.
Social networks play an enormous role in distributing news and information, often
with limited regard for accuracy, and thus inform and shape opinions. A 2021 Pew Research report
found that 48% of American adults cite social media as their source of “news”. While this was a
5-percentage point decline compared to 2020, it remains alarming high.
For politicians and marketers, the intensified cloistering fuelled by social
networks can be both an opportunity and a threat. To effectively reach and influence a society
that exists within social cloisters, marketing strategies and perspectives must adapt and include
methods such as active listening, reaching out, and engaging with targeted groups to ensure
messages are able to penetrate and resonate with their intended audience. This is not an easy
task, particularly when confronted with such diversity and polarization of opinions.
