People often find solace with those who look like them, think like them, and share similar experiences. There’s some comfort to be found with people who you know you can relate to, understand, and accept. On the other hand, acknowledging diversity is unfamiliar to most people, often leading to indifference and avoidance of people who are perceived as “different” from oneself. In some cases, one even denies the existence of different cultures and experiences and doggedly insists that they are superior. The surprising yet saddening part is that this person could be just about anyone in the world — your neighbor, your college best friend, your high-school English teacher, or the politician you voted for in the recent elections.

Ironically, in the modern world of social media, communities seem to have become even more tight-knit as opposed to free-flowing and welcoming. One would assume that being able to communicate with people from the other side of the world in real-time would encourage a more global reach that boasts interactions with diverse communities. The truth is that we have become complacent. Social media algorithms dictate what you see, when you see it, and how you see it. As these algorithms work on prior data you’ve utilized, what you see on social media is curated toward your likes and interests. This also means that you only ever connect with people who are similar to you. For instance, if you’re a proponent of climate change activism, the algorithm coughs up similar posts on climate change. While this may not be harmful at first glance, there is a possibility that being surrounded by posts broadcasting a single perspective can prevent you from considering multiple viewpoints that may not necessarily be “wrong”.

Let’s look at interests. If you’re primarily interested in climate change activism and you regularly search, like, post, or follow pages related to your interest, that’s all you ever see. In this fast-paced world, most people blindly scroll through what the algorithm suggests and barely think about widening their horizons. From an alternate perspective, people who post about climate change activism might not reach an audience beyond those already interested in climate change activism. While it’s helpful to engage on a deeper level with an already-existing audience, wouldn’t it also be useful to reach people that may be unaware of climate change activism or the dangers awaiting our world if immediate action isn’t taken?

In a world dictated by algorithms catering to like-minded people and similar interests, we could perhaps take a more rebellious step to diversify our interests and perspectives. We could grow together as a community and learn to celebrate differences. This is not to say that similarities have to be eradicated or one must always strive for diversity. Ignoring what binds us together can lead to a sense of isolation and loss of community. We are, after all, social creatures that depend on each other. It is only human nature to find pieces of ourselves in others to find our place in the world in relation to the social universe. In this process, let’s simply ensure that our similarities do not lead to falling for prejudice and a false sense of superiority.

You may even find that diversity binds us together just as much as similarities do.