Politics in the Digital Age

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On the eve of the UK election, we are taking a look at how political messages reach us in the digital age. Is the Internet improving or undermining our understanding of the big political questions that we face? James Williams is a former Google employee and current winner of the $100,000 Nine Dots prize, which seeks to address problems facing the modern world. He tells Ed Butler how the 'age of outrage and clickbait' is damaging our engagement in politics. So what is the key to enticing the general public when it comes to politics? Hugo Mercier is a researcher of cognitive science at Neuchâtel University, he explains why we are becoming more cynical and harder to convince than we once were. Plus, the truth behind 'going viral'. Author Derek Thompson has been studying the phenomenon in his book 'Hit Makers' and the answer may not be quite what you think. (Picture: Google eye, Credit: Getty Images)