Is the polarization and following conflict due to a one time event, pushing the social equilibrium beyond an irreversible threshold—like rainforests transitioni

Is the polarization and following conflict due to a one time event, pushing the social equilibrium beyond an irreversible threshold—like rainforests transitioning into savannah—or is it an ongoing process kept alive by interactions and stressors mediated and amplified through online networks? The only way to measure the causal effect of Meta presence is by shutting down services for longer periods in order to gauge the difference.