Former Secretary of State and Arkansas First Lady Hillary Clinton visited Little Rock on Friday, where she shared her ideas on a perceived decline in democracy and civic engagement. Clinton was part of a panel discussion hosted by the Clinton Foundation at the Robinson Center in downtown Little Rock.
Clinton said one of the main issues facing democracy is an increase in polarization. She said the lack of social groups and gatherings is a contributing factor.
“We were big joiners in the United States. In the informal basis of backyard barbecue with your neighborhood, or on a formal basis if you joined the Kiwanis, the Rotary Club or Girl Scouts or whatever else you join,” she said. “All of a sudden that was diminishing, and polarization and divisiveness was increasing.”
In the absence of these social connections, Clinton said ideas of others and oneself are increasingly shaped by political affiliation and ideology. She added social media has exacerbated the problem.
Joining Clinton on Friday's panel were Robert Putnam, economics professor and author of "Bowling Alone" and Pete and Rebecca Davis, whose film "Join or Die" explores the importance of civic engagement. The film was inspired by Putnam’s book focusing on the increase of loneliness in America.
Citing "Join or Die," Putnam mentioned a 40% decline in the number of Americans who attended even one public meeting for city or school affairs from the 1970s to the 1990s. There was also a 50% decline in the number of clubs attended, and a 60% decline in the amount of picnics attended annually.
Clinton also blamed the rise of the internet as one of the main reasons for the lack of social connections, leading to a lack of civic engagement.
“Screens are often substituting for the kind of relationship building that babies, toddlers, children need from the other people, particularly the adults in their lives,” she said. “One of the saddest things that I think we all see in the world today are adults with little children and they’re not looking at the children, they’re not talking to the children, they’re not playing with the children. They’re looking at their screens.”
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 34 states have pending legislation that aims to limit the use of social media by minors. During the 2023 legislative session, Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill that would hold social media companies liable for harmful content shown to children and requires platforms to verify users' ages. The legislation is currently being challenged in court.
