India, Oct. 17 -- The world wide web, initially envisioned as a unifying force, is now contributing to societal division through online echo chambers and polarizing content.

Studies suggest that social media platforms profit from divisive engagement, exacerbating affective polarization.

To counter this, a structural change involving government intervention and a shift in platform economics is necessary to foster balanced discourse.

The hope of the world wide web, according to its creator Tim Berners-Lee, was that it would make communication easier, bring knowledge to all, and strengthen democracy and connection. Instead, it seems to be driving us apart into increasingly small and angry splinter groups. Why?

We have commonly blamed onl...