@MsKathleen I agree, my point only being that media is big enough for people to completely avoid all forms of truth in their political bubbles. That's something you couldn't do when there were only 3 networks and they were controlled by the fairness doctrine where every political position had to have equal time with opponents to that political position.
The fairness doctrine of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, was a policy that required the holders of broadcast licenses both to present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that fairly reflected differing viewpoints.
In 1987, the FCC abolished the fairness doctrine, prompting some to urge its reintroduction through either Commission policy or congressional legislation. However, later the FCC removed the rule that implemented the policy from the Federal Register in August 2011.
So Reagan shot the fairness doctrine and Obama killed it.
We've had nothing but ever increasing polarization ever since.

The taking over of state governments over the decades has helped in the way they have controlled the school's cariculums and the school books they approved. These are politicians, not educaters making these decisions.

@MsKathleen You may be partially right, but as to television, it depends on what you watch. I watch a good bit of television, and used to work for "Public television" and in addition to old movies, I watch Animal Planet, Discovery, Nat, Geographic, "news and Information" channels (except Fox and other right wing propaganda) History Channel etc. and if you ignore the increasing commercial content I find that you can learn a lot from the medium. On the other hand, computers and Social Media can be very dangerous in the wrong hands, due to the unaccountability factor, especially among younger users. I am a "Baby Boomer" and I believe my generation was among the last to receive a relatively good "Public Education". Modern kids can't write cursive, they don't learn Geography or Civics, and History has always been relative or sketchy, even for "Boomers". Most recent products of modern education can't even speak their own language properly. An example I often use is the simple articles "the" and "a". "The" is pronounced "thee" before a word beginning with a vowel, and "thuh" before a word beginning with a consonant. Today, even trained TV journalists and school teachers don't know this simple rule of usage. Although the letter "A" is pronounced as a "long" vowel sound, ie. "Aee" and the article a is soft, (uh). If you want to glean general knowledge, it begins with having parents who are your primary teachers and who take the time to instill a desire to learn. In todays world of obsession with consuming, working, peer pressure and "Pop Culture", it is rare to find such a home environment. There are more factors such as overcrowded classrooms, and inclusion programs, and distractions and over-attention to sports etc. but that is my opinion in a nutshell. I have worked in education and have made several documentary films on the subject, including the first introduction of "I.E.P" programs in Pennsylvania. I also believe "cell phones" have no place in the primary and secondary school environment, but computers, if used properly, but not exclusively, can have a positive effect on the learning process.

I have ready access to information that wasn’t available as a kid with limits of an old encyclopedia, high school educated parents, and actual card catalogs in analog libraries.

Sadly people spend too much time polarized and siloed on social media, but this too is a social media site where good discussion can be had. There are still the deluded and lost in our midst.

If I want the latest on news about health and science I can peruse Google News and avoid Epoch Times like the plague, but find some decent references to original articles if not paywalled. There’s plenty of information, way too much and information is not knowledge and that’s not wisdom.

Cable TV is crap, but informative documentaries can be had on streaming or even Youtube. Entertainment too.

@Scott321 Don't get me wrong. Computers and the "Web" have put all knowledge at our fingertips. I donate to Wikipedia. But, as you say, the average person never even approaches the potential afforded by computers. They don't care. Knowledge has become old hat and un-cool. They're only interested in the damage they can do with technology. Youngsters love destroying things, and have no respect for life, property or knowledge. Of course you realize there are always exceptions, but they are getting rarer.

@Scott321 Just a reply: I have used a computer to teach myself Programming, C++, and Python, the rudimentary aspects of some graduate mathematics, writing. I listen to several podcasts and consider them to be great resources for information. Computrs and the Internet can be used to great advantages as well as great folly.

That's a good start.