Can Sophie Beren Unify Gen-Z?

With the looming 2024 elections, The Conversationalist invites many first time voting Gen-Z to break out of their echo chambers and have the difficult discussions. Sophie Beren talks about the impact her media organization has on unifying the community on their opinions through open dialogue and authentic conversations. 

Today, more than 8 in 10 Americans get their news on social media– beating out TV, radio or print. Among Gen Z, social media is the most common news source. They aren’t the only ones turning to platforms for information; 53% of Americans get at least some of their news from social media. Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok have all become pseudo-news platforms.

Because these platforms don’t involve fact-checking, misinformation has also risen with these platforms. Researchers at MIT have found that fake news can spread up to 10 times faster than true reporting on social media. When explosive, misinforming posts go viral, their corrections are never as widely viewed or believed.

As the New York Times explains, misinformation and bias in reporting and discussion is colliding with politics in drastic ways. Some of the most extreme voices seek one another out on alternative social media platforms, like Telegram, BitChute and Truth Social. The “prevalence and acceptance of these narratives is only gaining traction,” even directly influencing electoral policy and legislation, Pyrra found in a case study.

“These conspiracies are taking root amongst the political elite, who are using these narratives to win public favor while degrading the transparency, checks and balances of the very system they are meant to uphold,” the company’s researchers wrote.

The Conversationalist digital platform empowers Gen Z to break out of these echo chambers, have difficult conversations, and unify together. This human interest piece takes us through the importance of having difficult conversations in the midst of a politically fraught time. Through interviewing Sophie Beren, the founder and creator, we see the nuance and power expanding your worldview can have. 
We speak with Sophie Beren who has worked with the Conversationalist to host important conversations with the community. She talks about the impact she has seen on the community and why supporting these platforms is crucial now more than ever.