The Plugged In Show, Episode 199: Social Media’s Role in Cultural Polarization, Plus: ‘The Bells of St. Mary’s’

LISTEN TO THE PLUGGED IN SHOW, EPISODE 199

We hear a lot in the news these days about the problem of cultural polarization. Essentially, these stories tell us, we’re segregating into camps where we primarily hang out with people who believe just like we do. And we tend to demonize—or at least criticize—the “other side” for holding convictions that we believe are, well, wrong.

But what is social media’s role in this trend? How might our Facebook or Instagram or TikTok feeds be reinforcing this tendency toward, as some have labeled it, tribalism and division? Those are important questions, and we’ll talk about them in our main segment of this week’s episode of The Plugged In Show.

And in our second segment, well, you’re in for a treat. Something completely different, as Monty Python might say. Bob Hoose recently reviewed the classic, 1945 film The Bells of St. Mary’s. If you’re wondering why, well, stay plugged in for the second segment. And be sure to check out Bob’s blog on the subject as well, which gives you a bit more information about why we’re going to be tackling some older movies at Plugged In in the coming weeks and months. In fact, we’d love to hear from you about what old classics you’d like us to review as well.

You can connect with us in several ways. The comments section below is one way. Or, shoot us an email at [email protected]. And if you head over to our podcast homepage, thepluggedinshow.com, you’ll find a black ribbon on the right-hand side of the page where you can leave us a voicemail with your thoughts—we might even feature your audio message on a future show. And, of course, Facebook and Instagram are options, too.

Finally, a new space where we’re cultivating conversation with you is our weekly Plugged In Show Aftercast, streaming live on Instagram at 3:00 p.m. MT on Monday. Join us there next week for a lively conversation about the weekend’s box office, as well as recent topics on The Plugged In Show. And we’ll be sharing some details there about an upcoming change in that feature to serve you better.