Essentially, the “Big Sort” suggests that Americans have been sorting themselves into homogeneous communities even at a micro level of a city or a neighborhood. The “Big Sort” is present in the media that we consume because people like to watch news sources that confirm their biases. Personally, I get most of my information about the world from Vice News, New York Times, or the Huffington Post. I also occasionally watch BBC News or CNN. All of these news sources have a strong liberal bias, particularly Vice News. These news sources lack the balance of showing both viewpoints, leaving the viewer with only biased information , which makes it harder for the audience to draw a well-rounded conclusion. When I do consume media that conflicts with my ideology, I tend to subconsciously poke fun and dismiss it as irrelevant or inaccurate. The fact that I tend towards consuming liberally biased media and news is my subconscious desire to only expose myself to information that confirms my point of view. When the news doesn't confirm my bias, I simply dismiss it as unimportant or wrong. I am fully participating in “Big Sort”, placing myself into a homogeneous community in the sense of my ideology and what I expose myself to.
Apart from what I follow in the media, "Big Sort" is present in multiple aspects of my life. The "Big Sort" is clearly present in the community of Durango and embedded in how I live. For example, people whom live in the city limits tend to share a similar liberal ideology, along with similar interests, values, hobbies, etc. While people who live outside city limits tend to share a more conservative ideology, which are also similar to one another. This is a first hand example of the “Big Sort” and how people divided themselves into communities with others who have similar ideologies. What this implies for Democracy is if people only expose themselves to sources and others to confirm their ideology, then critical thinking and progressive thinking would be demolished. As a democratic society we can only improve as whole if we understand, somewhat respect, and are exposed to conflicting ideologies to our own. If we ignore or dismiss other perspectives, then we become stuck in a stubborn pit of quicksand where no political, civil, environmental, etc. progress can be made.
Apart from what I follow in the media, "Big Sort" is present in multiple aspects of my life. The "Big Sort" is clearly present in the community of Durango and embedded in how I live. For example, people whom live in the city limits tend to share a similar liberal ideology, along with similar interests, values, hobbies, etc. While people who live outside city limits tend to share a more conservative ideology, which are also similar to one another. This is a first hand example of the “Big Sort” and how people divided themselves into communities with others who have similar ideologies. What this implies for Democracy is if people only expose themselves to sources and others to confirm their ideology, then critical thinking and progressive thinking would be demolished. As a democratic society we can only improve as whole if we understand, somewhat respect, and are exposed to conflicting ideologies to our own. If we ignore or dismiss other perspectives, then we become stuck in a stubborn pit of quicksand where no political, civil, environmental, etc. progress can be made.