Abstract

In recent years political polarization has escalated dramatically across the world raising concerns about democratic erosion and the fragmentation of public discourse. A significant contributor to this phenomenon is the increasing influence of social media platforms particularly the algorithmic systems that curate users’ content. Social media algorithms designed to maximize engagement and user retention often prioritize emotionally charged and ideologically reinforcing content. This paper investigates how these algorithmic processes contribute to political polarization with a special focus on the Indian context. It draws upon academic literature platform design analysis and qualitative data from interviews and case studies to examine the mechanisms by which algorithms segment audiences into echo chambers and filter bubbles. It also explores how such fragmentation impacts political discourse civic engagement and democratic participation. The findings suggest that while social media algo