Abstract
Controversial Encounters In the Age of Algorithms: How Digital Technologies are Stifling Public Debate and What to Do About It argues that democracy faces challenges when ‘stifling’ public debate, with the main developments of polarization and personalization creating an inability for citizens to develop their own, unique, individual opinions. The book uses a background of algorithmic reasoning, polarization and the concept of datafied affect. The focus is primarily on the user and their experience rather than the creation of the aforementioned technologies, plasticity and practices within communication of digital organization and how algorithms shape societies. The book employs an interesting and direct tone of writing, often addressing the reader in order to explain its argumentation. This unique method of writing opens up the volume to audiences wider than the academic field and can offer information of digital and democratic literacy. The book begins with an introduction followed by a chapter exploring the foundation of the study in regard to organizing digital communication (Chapter 2). Chapter 3 then explores the occurring transformations in the public sphere due to digitalization leading to antagonism. A conceptual alternative of transformation and rhetoric of redefining controversial encounters is presented in Chapter 4 and analysis of the impacts of personalized polarization in Chapter 5, followed by an exploration of the immediate future of generative AI (Chapter 6). The final chapters build alternatives to ‘detached entrenchment’ (Chapter 7) and summarize findings whilst highlighting how there can be a closing of the ‘rhetorical mind’ and re-creating a sphere where disagreement is good in order to keep engaging each other, and maintaining democracy. Just argues that ‘If controversy ends, democracy ends. To stop that from happening, we must beg to differ’ (p. 179). This book is an important read for scholars, academics and the public interested in the future of democratic politics and debate.