Digital platforms only provide a powerful means of connection/communication/recruitment for the real alternative to allegiance to nation-states: ideological and other affinity groups that existed already.
What we’re observing now is those platforms making citizenry in those groups often more important than citizenry in a nation-state, for better or for worse. Sometimes that “divided” citizenry can exist in peace (e.g. cat fanciers are in no inherent conflict with liberal democractic institutions) and sometimes it can’t (e.g. members of the Know-Nothing 27% are actively hostile to liberal democratic institutions).
