The past decade has seen political polarisation – accelerated by social media’s filter bubbles and echo chambers – deepen and mutate. An ominous era of a polycrisis has shattered any remaining societal consensus. Meanwhile, powerful anti-establishment voices have stepped into the void.

Outside the US, the majority of citizens around the world feel that social media has had a more positive than negative effect on their nation’s democracy. People value the opportunity for political discourse, though as legacy platforms become increasingly toxic, new platforms are gaining appeal.

Looking for online spaces to voice their ideological beliefs, extreme right-wing communities are taking root in gaming platforms. With safeguarding still in its infancy, the politicization of gaming illustrates the need for a more robust approach to hate speech in new media spaces.

As controversial debates heighten emotions across America, the need for empathy and greater understanding is stronger than ever. After investigating this in our Citizenship Sector Snapshot, Canvas8 spoke to eight people from the US to find out how interested they are in bridging divides.

Social and political tensions have left many Americans feeling insecure and unsure about expressing their opinions. YouTube seriesMiddle Groundis confronting this pervasive discomfort by bringing people with opposing views together for open conversations around divisive issues.