Beware the Funhouse Mirror: How Social Media Misleads Us About Public Opinion

Jay J. Van Bavel

Dr. Van Bavel studies how collective concerns—group identities, moral values, and political beliefs—shape the mind, brain, and behavior. He has published over 150 academic papers, and he recently co-authored the book “The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony” (Little, Brown Spark, 2021).

Beware the Funhouse Mirror: How Social Media Misleads Us about Public Opinion

Watch Dr. Van Bavel’s lecture

Dr. Van Bavel explains how modern technology interacts with human psychology to create a funhouse mirror version of public opinion. The political expressions we see on social media are more extreme than most people actually believe, and this can create false perceptions about public opinion. He explains how online environments become saturated with false norms, who is misrepresented online, what happens when online opinions deviate from offline opinions, and why expressions are more extreme online. He argues the funhouse mirror nature of social media can be pernicious for individuals and society by increasing pluralistic ignorance and false polarization. This is why policy makers should understand the distorting effect of social media and discount these expressions as a reflection of public opinion.

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Lecture

Beware the Funhouse Mirror: How Social Media Misleads Us About Public Opinion

November 13, 2025

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM (ET)

Past

About

Sponsored by the National Academies and Issues in Science & Technology, the 2025 Henry and Bryna Lecture will feature Dr. Jay J. Van Bavel, PhD, Director of the Center for Conflict & Cooperation and Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University.

Dr. Van Bavel will explain how modern technology interacts with human psychology to create a funhouse mirror version of public opinion. The political expressions we see on social media are more extreme than most people actually believe and this can create false perceptions about public opinion. He will explain how online environments become saturated with false norms, who is misrepresented online, what happens when online opinions deviate from offline opinions, and why expressions are more extreme online. He argues the funhouse mirror nature of social media can be pernicious for individuals and society by increasing pluralistic ignorance and false polarization. This is why policy makers should understand the distorting effect of social media and discount these expressions as a reflection of public opinion.

Read Dr. Van Bavel's Bio

Contact

Austin Scheetz

ascheetz@nas.edu

Location

Keck Center

500 5th St NW

Washington DC 20001, USA

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

Beware the Funhouse Mirror: How Social Media Misleads Us About Public Opinion

November 13, 2025

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM (ET)

Past

About

Sponsored by the National Academies and Issues in Science & Technology, the 2025 Henry and Bryna Lecture will feature Dr. Jay J. Van Bavel, PhD, Director of the Center for Conflict & Cooperation and Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University.

Dr. Van Bavel will explain how modern technology interacts with human psychology to create a funhouse mirror version of public opinion. The political expressions we see on social media are more extreme than most people actually believe and this can create false perceptions about public opinion. He will explain how online environments become saturated with false norms, who is misrepresented online, what happens when online opinions deviate from offline opinions, and why expressions are more extreme online. He argues the funhouse mirror nature of social media can be pernicious for individuals and society by increasing pluralistic ignorance and false polarization. This is why policy makers should understand the distorting effect of social media and discount these expressions as a reflection of public opinion.

Read Dr. Van Bavel's Bio

Contact

Austin Scheetz

ascheetz@nas.edu

Location

Keck Center

500 5th St NW

Washington DC 20001, USA

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

K-12 Education in the Age of AI: The Role of the Social Sciences in Shaping Learning Designs for a Transformative Technological Era

October 10, 2024

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM (ET)

Past

About

Sponsored by DBASSE and Issues in Science and Technology magazine, the 2024 Henry and Bryna David lecture featured Dr. Shuchi Grover, Director of AI and Education Research at Looking Glass Ventures. This engaging and timely lecture was followed by a Q&A session. A reception was held following the lecture for those attending in-person.
The slow, relentless creep of computing is currently in overdrive with powerful AI tools impacting every aspect of our lives. What should learners and teachers understand about these technologies in order to use them in ways that are empowering and equitable? What role can policy, research, and education stakeholders play to ensure that these tools are leveraged to serve our goals of educating the next generation of citizens and problem solvers? And most importantly, what are enduring lessons from the social sciences in guiding and envisioning socio-technical learning systems in the age of AI?
Dr. Grover is a a computer scientist and learning scientist by training who has been committed to PreK-12 computing education in formal and informal settings for over two decades. She holds a Ph.D. in Learning Sciences and Technology Design with a focus on K-12 computer science education (Stanford University), master’s degrees in education (Harvard University) and computer science (CWRU, Cleveland), and bachelor’s degrees in computer science and physics (India).

Contact

Austin Scheetz

ascheetz@nas.edu

Location

National Academy of Sciences Building

2101 Constitution Ave NW

Washington DC 20418, USA

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

Embracing the Social in Social Science: Notes for a Technoscientific Future

October 12, 2023

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

Sponsored by DBASSE and Issues in Science and Technology magazine, the 2023 Henry and Bryna David lecture will feature Dr. Rayvon Fouché, Professor, Communication Studies and Professor, Medill School of Journalism, Media, and Integrative Marketing Communications, Northwestern University.
What can our scientific and technological future look like if we fully embrace science as a social activity? By centering the social in our scientific investigations, science becomes more than an activity focused on observing the natural and physical world to learn how nature “works.” By integrating the social, science becomes more than a set of descriptions, predictions, and explanations of phenomena. Science becomes directly about making the world a better place for life, in its myriad forms, to exist, live, and thrive. This lecture explores how integrating the social into all scientific inquiry can transform the science we do and why we do it.
Dr. Fouché’s work explores the multiple intersections between cultural representation, racial identification and technological design. He is the author of a number of books, including "Game Changer: The Technoscientific Revolution in Sports" (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2017), "Technology Studies" (Sage Publications, 2008), and "Black Inventors in the Age of Segregation" (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003).

Contact

Evelyn Copeland

(202) 334-2943
ECopeland@nas.edu

Location

National Academy of Sciences Building

2101 Constitution Ave NW

Washington DC 20418, USA

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

DBASSE: Where Science and Society Meet

October 12, 2022

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM (ET)

Past

About

2022 Henry and Bryna David Lecture

Sponsored by DBASSE and Issues in Science and Technology magazine, the 2022 Henry and Bryna David lecture will feature Dr. Shirley Malcom, Senior Advisor to the CEO and Director of the SEA Change initiative at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Dr. Malcom’s talk will highlight the importance of the behavioral and social sciences and education in evidence-based public policy and will bring her considerable expertise in public science literacy, issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and STEM education to bear on the challenges facing our society.

Dr. Malcom serves as a Senior Advisor and Director of SEA Change at AAAS that aims to to advance institutional transformation in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially in colleges and universities. In addition, Dr. Malcom is a trustee of Caltech, and a regent of Morgan State University. Malcom serves on the boards of the Heinz Endowments, Public Agenda, the National Math and Science Initiative and Digital Promise. She has received a variety of honors and awards, most notable was her election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the receipt of the 2003 Public Welfare Medal, the highest award presented by the National Academy of Sciences.

COVID-19 notice for attending in-person events:

To prevent infection and spread of the COVID-19 virus, and as an integral measure toward the safety and health of everyone in our buildings, the National Academies require all individuals who enter our facilities to be up to date with their vaccinations against COVID-19 per CDC guidance. Visitors must show their official COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (or a digital photo of the card) to the security staff when they enter the facility. Anyone who fails to present a vaccination card (or its copy) will not be allowed access to our facility; no exemptions or exceptions will be accommodated. Visitors may choose to wear a mask but are not required to do so. More information on our operating status can be found here.

Contact

Shaakira Parker

srparker@nas.edu

Location

National Academy of Sciences Building

2101 Constitution Ave NW

Washington DC 20418, USA

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

Like Wildfire: How Climate Justice Should Change Disaster Response

October 14, 2021

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

2021 Henry and Bryna David Lecture

Sponsored by DBASSE and Issues in Science and Technology magazine, the 2021 Henry and Bryna David lecture will feature Dr. Michael A. Méndez, assistant professor of environmental planning and policy at the University of California, Irvine.

As climate change advances, communities across the United States are adapting to the increased threat of wildfires. Such disasters are expected to become more frequent and severe.

In this lecture, Dr. Méndez explores why it is crucial to understand how these events amplify existing inequalities, and how to lessen the resulting harms, in particular for the most stigmatized populations, such as undocumented Latino/a and Indigenous migrants.
Dr. Michael Méndez is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Planning and Policy at the University of California, Irvine. He most recently served as the inaugural James and Mary Pinchot Faculty Fellow in Sustainability Studies and Associate Research Scientist at the Yale School of the Environment. Michael has more than a decade of senior-level experience in the public and private sectors, where he consulted and actively engaged in the policymaking process. This included working for the California State Legislature as a senior consultant, lobbyist, a member of the California State Mining & Geology Board, and as vice chair of the Sacramento City Planning Commission. In 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Dr. Méndez to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. The board regulates water quality in a region of 11 million people.
Dr. Méndez's research on climate-induced disasters and social vulnerability has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Early Faculty Career grant, in conjunction with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

Contact

Viola Horek

(202) 334-2091
vhorek@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

A Coming Youth Wave? Mobilizing Young Voters in a Polarized Political Environment

October 8, 2020

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

"A Coming Youth Wave? Mobilizing Young Voters in a Polarized Political Environment"

Young Americans seem poised for unprecedented levels of civic and political participation. Will the recent wave of youth activism in protesting racial injustice translate into higher turnout rates in the 2020 election? Historically, youth voter turnout has been abysmal. Young citizens typically vote at half the rate of older citizens, and this gap in turnout is much worse in the United States than other democracies.

In this lecture, Dr. Hillygus evaluates the barriers and opportunities for mobilizing young voters in the 2020 election and beyond.

Contact

Viola Horek

(202) 334-2091
vhorek@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice that Shapes what We See, Think, and Do

October 10, 2019

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

The Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education and Issues in Science and Technology magazine are pleased to announce that Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt will give the 2019 Henry and Bryna David lecture on Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. in Washington, DC.
A social psychologist at Stanford University, Eberhardt investigates the consequences of the psychological association between race and crime. Through interdisciplinary collaborations and a wide ranging array of methods—from laboratory studies to novel field experiments—Dr. Eberhardt has revealed the startling, and often dispiriting, extent to which racial imagery and judgments suffuse our culture and society, and in particular shape actions and outcomes within the domain of criminal justice.

Contact

Viola Horek

(202) 334-2091
vhorek@nas.edu

Location

Keck Center

500 5th St NW

Washington DC 20001, USA

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

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