How social media has changed us

A woman looks at social networking applications
A woman looks at social networking applications such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Whatsapp, Twitter, Messenger and Linkedin on a smartphone in Kuala Lumpur
Manan Vatsyayana | AFP via Getty Images

Facebook and Twitter launched to the public in 2006, ushering in an era of constant communication and virtual communities unimaginable a generation ago. 

Social media has changed how we communicate and influences everything from how we engage in political life to young people’s social, emotional and civic development. 

MPR News host Angela Davis spoke with two researchers who study the ways that social media is shaping our lives.

Guests: 

  • Jaime Settle is an associate professor of government and data science at William and Mary University in Williamsburg, Virginia. She is also the author of the book “Frenemies: How Social Media Polarizes America.” 

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