Are Kids Becoming Too Polarized? BRI Talks Problem and Solutions

The term “polarization” doesn’t only apply to Capitol Hill or to people yelling at each other on TV talk shows or social media.

Increasingly, polarization is having a significant, harmful effect on young students.

Bill of Rights Institute President and CEO David Bobb appeared on radio affiliates for National Public Radio and ABC News Radio this week to discuss the problem —and what our schools, families, and communities can do to help.

“The trickle-down effect of that negative polarization that has rippled through our country… is having an impact on kids as young as 11.” Bobb said, citing a 2022 Stanford University study in an interview with KSL News Radio, an ABC affiliate in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Bobb said too many children today are left wondering “if I can keep my friendships and still talk about important stuff—things that might cause disagreements.”

The Bill of Rights Institute works with educators across the country to promote viewpoint diversity and civil discourse. BRI and the educators it collaborates with see promoting diverse viewpoints, helping students think critically, and teaching students to engage with people they may disagree with as vital learning skills.

BRI also operates the Think the Vote website, which allows students from across the country to engage in civil discourse around some of the most pressing current events issues.

By introducing students to diverse viewpoints, “at a young age [students] become very familiar and comfortable working with different opinions,” Bobb told Michigan National Public Radio affiliate WGVU.

Bobb praised civics and history educators who work hard to help students understand multiple perspectives and think critically.

“What we see in these educators . . . is an example for young people that our country does not have to be as divided and it doesn't have to be about ideology,” Bobb said.

Bobb also discussed with KSL News Radio the important role parents and community members play in helping to combat polarization in children. That means modeling civil discourse and stressing to young people the importance of working with people you disagree with and finding a way to move forward as Americans.

“What we have to do to turn this around is model the behavior we want to see in our youth,” Bobb said.