Arrow’s Paradox in the age of social media Updated: Updated: Shortened attention spans, relentless messaging, and the mechanics of elections make for an incendiary mix Share Article Shortened attention spans, relentless messaging, and the mechanics of elections make for an incendiary mix The mechanics of all elections are flawed. Each country has different rules regarding its voting systems, and each set of rules is necessarily a compromise. Some countries use ‘first past the post’ systems, while others use electoral colleges. Yet others use referendums where two choices are pitted against one another, such as the Brexit vote. The influence of the minority