Understanding Populism & Extremism:Echo Chambers, Algorithms, Individualism

Course Description:

Understanding Populism & Extremism: Echo Chambers, Algorithms, and Individualism

In a world shaped by swipes, streams, and suggestions, how much of what we believe is actually...ours?

This public course explores how online echo chambers, personalized algorithms, and the cultural emphasis on individualism combine to influence identity and create pathways to extremism.

We'll draw from psychology and social theory to unpack:

• Individualism vs. Collectivism — What happens when "me" outweighs "we"?
• Algorithmic Influence — How your feed is shaped (and how it shapes you).
• Echo Chambers — Why we're hearing louder voices, but fewer perspectives.

We’ll also explore the idea of the online self — how our digital identities are crafted, curated, and sometimes split from our real-world selves. Along the way, we’ll connect these threads to larger questions about responsibility, social harm, and how we might reclaim agency in a digitized world.

Whether you're a curious citizen, educator, organizer, or just wondering why things feel so fractured online, this is a space to learn, reflect, and reconnect the dots.

Note: This course builds on last month’s Understanding Populism & Extremism with a few small updates and refinements. The core themes remain the same — exploring how algorithms, echo chambers, and individualism shape belief and identity in the digital age.

Meet Your Facilitator:

Christine, Ph.D - Mindbridge's Scientific Content Expert
Christine is a social and community psychologist and the Scientific Content Expert for the Mindbridge Institute. Her research focuses on how identity, systems, and social context shape human behavior, with a particular focus on drivers of radicalization to violent extremism. She is passionate about applied research, mixed-methods, bringing critical epistemology to quantitative methods, and community partnership for creating enduring social change. Outside of work, Christine is an avid runner and traveler. She is a proud volunteer advocate for youth in foster care.