Social Media Rewards Conflict More Than Community

Send us Fan Mail Roundtable Featuring: Michelle Lucas (Special Guest), Maureen Jones, Micaela Leal, Georgie Lucas, Aga Es, Abigail Chapman-Miller, James Tidy & Magdalena Rahman. Host: Clive Hilton. Social media can make grown adults talk like strangers at war, and we’ve all felt that shift. Around our Sussex & Surrey Soapbox Roundtable, we dig into a blunt question: does the internet reward conflict more than community? and is it warping local democracy in the process?We talk through what the run-up to the 7 May local elections looked like from the front line, including the personal cost of campaigning when online abuse escalates into accusations, slurs, and lazy labels that replace real policy debate. James and Abigail share how quickly people jump to “Nazi”, “transphobic”, or worse, and why that kind of reductionistic language doesn’t just hurt feelings, it discourages good people from standing for office at all. We also explore the tribalism that turns politics into a football match, where winning the argument matters more than understanding the neighbour.Then we pull back the curtain on the incentives: algorithms, rage bait, bots, and the odd reality that longer angry comments can be worth more than simple support. We debate anonymity and accountability, including the legitimate need for anonymous profiles in situations like domestic abuse, while still calling out how “purple pomegranate” accounts can poison community Facebook groups. We also widen the lens to loneliness, generational change, and what constant screen time is doing to children’s imagination and social skills.If you want a thoughtful, honest conversation about social media algorithms, online trolling, free speech, community cohesion, and the future of political debate, press play. Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave us a review then tell us where you draw the line between free expression and responsible speech.Please click on 'Send a text' above & join our Facebook group to share your perspective and suggestions for future topics - Thank you for your interest! Clive.