The rise of social media and the sharp increase in political polarization may be linked, though the exact direction of cause-and-effect is not entirely clear. Some research suggests that the widespread (and often politically charged) disinformation we see on social media increases our distrust of the “other side” and pushes some of us to more extreme views; what’s more, social media “bubbles” encourage us to interact only with like-minded others and demonize those who we disagree with. Yet some experts argue that social media is not a direct cause of polarization, and instead merely reflects a broader shift in society at large; indeed, some longitudinal evidence suggests that increasing polarization in the U.S. began long before social media came into our lives.