Dangers of Homophily

Connecting with Social Media
Social media has become an important tool for many to stay connected or create new interactions with others. This media creates an online environment which helps people find others with similar interests. As I discussed previously in this blog post, homophily is formed when connections are made because of shared interests. Social networking can also aid in the formation of support systems.
Risks of Homophily
Networking has become easier because of the concept of homophily. Media platforms become meeting places to make those common interest connections. However, there can be risks of isolation involved with such interaction. There are programs used by social media platforms to help users find others who like similar pages, articles, or people (Carullo, Castiglione, De Santis, & Palmieri, 2015). One issue that can occur is the lack of new information. Individuals who have networks full of one-sided material will not see many opposing views, therefore they will not have the optimal amount of information.
What You Can Do
There are many ways to prevent this problem from forming. One of which is to have an open-mind and see what the opposition has to offer. This will also help develop critical thinking skills while trying to discover whether or not the information is credible. Looking at issues from other viewpoints can help someone become more informed and strengthen already formed ideals.
References
Carullo, G., Castiglione, A., De Santis, A., & Palmieri, F. (2015). A triadic closure and homophily-based recommendation system for online social networks. World Wide Web, 18(6), 1579–1601. doi:10.1007/s11280–015–0333–5