Entertainment Over Engagement: Politics in the Age of the Algorithm

In recent years, amid political chaos and extreme polarization, disengaging from the news has become socially acceptable, even encouraged. “It’s too depressing” is now a common justification for avoiding headlines, politics, and current events altogether. 

While the emotional toll of constant crisis is real, opting out of the news does not make those crises go away, nor does it protect us: it only makes us easier to influence. At its core, this retreat represents a complete failure to fulfill civic responsibility in a time when civic participation and outrage are essential. Essentially, democracy depends on an informed public, not a comfortable one.

Additionally, this comfort is derived from privilege. It is a privilege to call the news “too depressing” and to turn it off while others are living that reality. The ability to detach comes from a position where disengagement doesn’t carry immediate consequences. Those whose rights, safety, or economic stability are not directly threatened by political shifts can afford to step away, trusting that the system will continue to work for them. But for many, staying informed is required for survival. 

Simultaneously, politics has shifted onto social media platforms designed for entertainment rather than knowledge. Official accounts belonging to institutions like the White House, state leaders, and political parties now rely on TikTok trends, viral edits, and meme-style messaging to communicate policy and political narratives to young users.

This transformation has made political information more accessible, helping ensure people can’t just look away, but also making it more superficial and detrimental. It produces burnout, making people more cynical and less inclined to stay engaged with outside political news. These posts, combined with a lack of engagement with outside research, lead to a misinformed, biased perception of political events. Thus, watching, reading, and staying up to date with credible news sources is more important than ever.

In an era where being “in the loop” often means watching a thirty-second clip, continuing to read the news and engage critically with the media is not just important — it is necessary for preserving informed citizenship and meaningful democratic participation. It is imperative to do one’s own research and develop concrete, fact-informed opinions on substantive issues rather than blindly following whatever your feed pushes your way. 

Journalists act as intermediaries. They ask hard questions, provide context, and fact-check claims, but social media removes that barrier. Direct-to-audience messaging may feel transparent, but it is carefully controlled to keep users seeing exactly what narratives the posters want to perpetuate. Social media is training us to passively consume politics rather than participate in it. As citizens, we should seek information, participate, and question power. Yet, as consumers, we are scrolling, reacting, and being targeted and managed. 

In addition to the fact that these posts lead to less critical thinking and research, this era of political messaging shows how desensitized we have become to political events. When the official White House account can get away with posting AI videos or edits to videos of immigrants being detained, we have reached a level of dystopia and dehumanization that is near impossible to come back from. 

Similarly, when the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, and official political party pages respond to this with memes and edits of political officials to perpetrate humor and sarcasm, we have degraded our status as political participants and instead become a representation of an audience being fed superficial, meaningless modern-day propaganda. Meme-ified crises lose their seriousness, and, coupled with repeated exposure without depth, individuals are subjected to apathy rather than awareness. 

We can literally scroll from a video of citizens being shot by federal officers, to the promotion of more celebrity micro-trends, to political memes — all within thirty seconds. The ills this is doing to impressionable minds, their empathy, and their attention are frightening, yet the political repercussions are even more so.  

Additionally, the algorithm pushes information that sparks outrage, confirms existing beliefs, and keeps users scrolling. This, in turn, creates a cycle of echo chambers, political radicalization, and false confidence in incomplete information. Fueling an intense political divide and turning politics and human rights matters into entertainment and a social media war is inherently indicative of people’s lack of care and empathy, enabling political officials to continue generating views from these shallow posts. 

This is why it’s not merely enough to read a headline on an Instagram or TikTok post and call yourself informed on a subject. As college students in particular, political awareness and education are a driving force in the ability to create impactful change and in having serious, meaningful conversations with others about the state of politics and its effects on the nation and its people. 

With the contemporary political unrest and notable demonstrations in Minneapolis and across the country, we should all be reminded of the political presence of college students across history. While we all play different roles politically, staying educated and informed and resisting the pull toward apathy and desensitization is not optional in periods of instability; it is how democratic participation survives. So, turn off your phone and seek out evidence and facts that keep credibility, civic responsibilities, and empathy alive in a desensitized age.  

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• college
• current event