Almost half (42%) of Americans aged 18-29 get their news from social media and 71% cite the internet as their main news source. This is drastically different from 30 years ago when the news people received through print media and television was far more uniform. Politics are also carrying more weight in our personal lives, with studies showing that most Democrats and Republicans would not date someone with differing views of Donald Trump. As the political landscape becomes increasingly polarized and personal, we ought to take a moment to reflect on the way we engage with and receive political information, and how politics has influenced the ways we perceive ourselves and relate to others.

This event, led by fellow HxA student affiliate Andrea Lan, is an open discussion and opportunity for reflection on how our relationship with identity has shifted over the last few years. We will explore the external (digital media) and internal (psychological mechanisms) factors contributing to our increasing identification with political ideology.