In an age of political divisiveness, finding common ground means creating opportunities to listen to each other’s stories and points of view — but it does not mean banning politics from social media platforms. That was the message delivered Tuesday evening by three panelists, including David Lazer, Northeastern distinguished professor of political science and computer science, during the second discussion in a series organized by nine Massachusetts colleges called “Dialogue and Action in an Age of Divides.”
“I think in a democracy you need to talk about politics. You need to sometimes talk vigorously and angrily about politics,” Lazer said. Fears of disinformation and alienating divisiveness may keep people from connecting, but retreat is not the answer, he said. “We owe it to each other to talk and to listen. It’s very hard in the present moment.”
