Shippensburg is chock-full of diverse backgrounds and experiences with no shortage of political science majors. On Thursday in the CUB MPR, students were able to participate in “political speed dating.”

Political speed dating isn’t so much about arguing over certain topics but discussing and learning other perspectives to grow as “political” students and people. Having a healthy conversation that puts other people’s needs in mind diminishes a sense divide between the left and right and a feeling of extreme polarization.

Talking to actual people about the political beliefs allows you to feel a little less alone about your own beliefs. 

Over 20 students were in attendance: students of multiple different backgrounds, cultures and experiences. These students were able to converse with others about pressing topics that affect young and old generations. The event was held by SU political science professor Alison Dagnes, who has been a part of this experiment for years.

Students started with easy warm-up questions and the usual icebreakers about hometown and major; the questions slowly became more personal. Eventually, most felt comfortable amongst each other and were itching to start what they came for.

Dagnes constantly stirs the group up and tries to take the conversation to the next level, making sure that the “date” wasn’t only limited to specified topics. The best conversations are the ones that happen accidentally, go off topic and end up leading somewhere more interesting than the start, according to Dagnes. 

Most students were excited to partake in conversation with each other and excluding first-year students, most had gone the year before. Dagnes emphasized to really embrace the differences in opinions one must  “really get out of your filter bubble.” 

Filter bubble is a concept describing the ways humans use social technology that use algorithms to “better the user experience.” Big name platforms like YouTube, Google, Instagram and Facebook use these algorithms to take note of content that you consume, as well as those that you don’t. This way platforms only show you content based on what you’ve done on that app. It will show you more things it thinks that you will like and less of what you might not like.

At first, it seems like an effective way to conform to the individual user and their taste, but it gets problematic very quickly. These algorithms create the filter bubbles that Dagnes referenced to restrict the user from seeing other opinions and other viewpoints because that wouldn’t align with its algorithm. This leads to people becoming enamored with their beliefs because the user is only being exposed to their own beliefs. 

That’s why it’s important to be able to have these conversations in discussions with people that have different perspectives. Some other topics that were most frequently discussed were issues at the border, which a student described as an “ever-growing problem that isn’t getting solved.” 

Abortion, human rights and gun control were popular subjects of conversation. Also discussed was the ability to have free speech and to discuss our beliefs, which some believe is in danger due to cancel culture’s role in society. 

Cancel culture is the online movement where people can hold online icons and celebrities accountable for their actions and what they say on their platforms. Some criticize cancel culture for its damaging and relentless nature, which can affect people’s jobs and social lives. Others say that it is a necessary way of keeping celebrities in line.

Dagnes encouraged students to find others with different viewpoints to spark up a stimulating conversation. 

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