Tim Shriver pitches Dignity Index as antidote to political contempt at Hinckley Forum

Tim Shriver, founder and CEO of Unite and chairman of Special Olympics International, told an audience at the Hinckley Institute of Politics forum at the University of Utah that a combination of partisan media, social‑media algorithms and politics is amplifying contempt and driving social isolation.

Shriver, who is serving as a public impact scholar at the university, described the scale of the problem and offered the eight‑point Dignity Index — developed by Unite in partnership with Hinckley Institute scholars — as a practical tool to help people recognize contempt in public conversation and adopt more respectful language.

Shriver said the social feed people see is not neutral. "We're all getting tricked. We're all getting used. We're all getting lied to. We're all getting propagandized," he said, arguing that platforms and partisan outlets profit by steering audiences toward outrage. He called the combined influence of social platforms and partisan news a multibillion‑dollar industry and said it pushes people toward angrier, more polarized views.

The Dignity Index Shriver described is an…