Digital media and political polarization in the United States: institutional biases and algorithmic structures as drivers of social cleavage

Abstract

This article examines the multifaceted influence of digital media on the deepening of political and affective polarization in the United States. The author argues that contemporary digital platforms have ceased to function merely as channels for information dissemination, having transformed into a key infrastructure that shapes the public agenda and intensifies intergroup hostility. The purpose of the study is to identify gaps in current media research and to analyze specific mechanisms that contribute to the reproduction of societal cleavage. The methodology employed is a narrative literature review incorporating historical-chronological and conceptual analysis. The article traces the evolution of media influence theories, from Walter Lippmann's concept of the «pseudo-environment» and Harold Lasswell's propaganda model, through Paul Lazarsfeld's "minimal effects" hypothesis, to the theories of agenda-setting, framing, and the spiral of silence. The author demonstrates how these classical frameworks acquire renewed relevance in the digital age. Particular attention is devoted to phenomena such as echo chambers, filter bubbles, and the hybrid media system. The study emphasizes that the fundamental architecture of digital platforms, designed to maximize user engagement, systematically prioritizes emotionally charged and polarizing content. Algorithmic recommendation and content moderation systems create «rabbit holes» that may radicalize users' views and reinforce self-censorship. The author concludes by identifying significant gaps in the scholarly understanding of these processes, attributable primarily to the opacity of algorithmic systems. The article calls for the development of a comprehensive research model capable of capturing the synergistic effects of various mechanisms, as well as for the introduction of regulatory measures to ensure the accountability of digital platforms, whose unchecked influence poses a threat to democratic institutions.