Mentioning ’white privilege’ increases online polarization

If there's an online discussion about race, using the term "white privilege” can create a polarized situation, say University of Michigan researchers. The mention of white privilege can create internet discussions that are less constructive, more polarized and less supportive of racially progressive policies, says Christopher Quarles , a doctoral candidate at the School of Information and the study's lead author. With online political polarization on the rise and race at the forefront of today's news, it is important to make cross-cultural online communication effective and inclusive, he says. In a study published in PLOS ONE, Quarles and co-author Lia Bozarth , also a School of Information doctoral candidate, looked at how language used in online discussions can impact who participates in them and how they respond. These, in turn, can influence perceptions of public opinion. Specifically, the study examined how the term "white privilege”-whose origins existed as early as the 1980s but became widely used in the last decade's heightened racial tension-affects online communication. The study does not directly examine the concept of white privilege itself, or whether whites think they have advantages due to their race.