Why We Can’t Agree on Reality
How Media Shapes Our Perception of Reality
Living in Different Timelines: Why People Seem to Disagree on Reality
You’re at a family dinner, and you mention a major news event. Your cousin shrugs, having never heard of it. Your uncle shares a different perspective from what you read this morning. Suddenly, you realize you’re not just debating opinions—you’re living in different realities. But why?
Believe it or not, this isn’t just a media problem. It’s a physics problem, too.
The Physics of Time and Perception
I’ve always been drawn to time travel. Stories about time loops and alternate realities fascinated me from a young age (a steady diet of Back to the Future screenings played a role). Even outside fiction, I’ve loved books that explore time for non-scientists. One recently made me see surprising parallels between physics and media.
In physics, there is no universal “now,” says Carlo Rovelli in The Order of Time. Time doesn’t flow the same way everywhere. Two people in different places don’t experience the same present. Information—light or data—takes time to travel, meaning your “now” isn’t necessarily someone else’s. This idea helps explain our fractured media environment.
Media Timelines and Algorithmic Delay
The same principle applies to media and information. The news cycle moves at different speeds for different people, influenced by habits, timing, and algorithms. Just as two distant observers in space perceive time differently, people in the same society can live in separate informational realities.
I know I checked out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for a bit there, but the scenes of Dr. Strange jumping between timelines in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness comes to mind. Each reality was different (some more than others), but none operated by the exact same laws (or laws of nature for that matter) as the original timeline. Depending on what media we consume, we might be living in totally different versions of reality. One person might see an event as a global crisis, while another dismisses it as a hoax. Neither is necessarily “wrong” within their reality—different media timelines just shape them.
Traditional newspapers report daily. Cable news updates every few hours. Social media refreshes in minutes. Meanwhile, books and long-form journalism span months or years. Depending on your sources, your perception of “now” may differ from someone else’s.
Adding another layer, social media algorithms filter content based on engagement. If an event happens but your algorithm deems it irrelevant, it might as well not exist in your version of the present. One group might intensely discuss a new issue while another is still reacting to last week’s conversation.
Why We Can’t Agree on Reality
When people operate on different media timelines, it becomes difficult to have a shared reality. Some people hear about events immediately, while others find out days later (or never). What’s urgent in one media ecosystem may be outdated or irrelevant in another. When people can’t even agree on what’s happening, it’s easy to assume the worst about others’ perspectives.
Can We Sync Our Timelines?
So how do we navigate this multiverse of information? While we may never return to a perfectly unified reality, we can take steps to close the gaps. To close these informational divides, we must be intentional about how we consume and share information. A few key ideas that can help you get started:
Diversify Your Sources – Read across different media formats (print, online, long-form, social media) to get a broader view of unfolding issues.
Be Aware of Algorithmic Filters – Your social media feed isn’t a neutral or complete version of reality.
Engage in Slower Thinking – Instead of reacting instantly to the latest story, take time to absorb and reflect before forming an opinion.
Talk to People Outside Your Bubble – Conversations with people who consume media differently can expose gaps in your timeline.
The Need for a Shared Present
In physics, simultaneity is relative—there’s no single, objective “now.” But in culture and politics, if we don’t work toward a shared sense of reality, division deepens. Recognizing the media timelines we inhabit and intentionally expanding our perspectives can help bridge these gaps.
It's always struck me that at the end of Back to the Future, Part 1, Marty isn’t back in his original timeline (even though the film presents it as such). He changed how his parents met, and while he winds back up in a similar timeline, he will never return to his original reality.
I think that’s a good realization for us to have. Barring some catastrophic event, our digitally fractured reality seems to be our table stakes for now. The decades the world experience of a singular “mass media” turned out to be an outlier, not a culmination of “progress.” For most of history, people navigated fragmented realities. It’s only in recent decades that mass media created an illusion of unity. We’ve lost the skills necessary to navigate a fractured world; we can (and must) relearn them.
Stray notes: For those interested, this is a great summary of time travel in fiction: