The Curse and Beauty of Curated Information

My assessment is that this method further limits the degree, vastness and diversity of information we get. This is the ultimate curated experience, not to mention it really reinforces at best, our preferences and at worse, our prejudices. Despite the curated search engine results; as demonstrated in Eli’s Ted Talk presentation there is still a possibility to obtain different web search results for the same topic depending on geographic location. However, filtering our information sources to a few options is too narrowing. For example, how likely is it that I would get different news update from the World Economic Forum within the ‘#AllThingsEcon’ column when I am in Toronto as opposed to Peru?

On the other hand, there is an argument to be made for having greater control what one choses to see, especially in the age of ‘filter bubbles.’ I just finished following Content Strategy for Professionals on Coursera. One of the points that was repeatedly reinforced was the lack time and the era of information overload. It makes sense for an individual to filter information based on topics of interests. After all, with only 24 hours in our day, it is reasonable to only seek ‘ meaningful, relevant and engaging content’ as the lead instructor kept emphasizing.

To be honest, that is how I manage all of my social media accounts- especially my twitter account. What perhaps distinguishes me is my genuine interest in Global Affairs, moreover, I have broad interests. What I struggle with is being up to date on Entertainment and pop culture news. I may not know what celebrities are up to, but I most likely will know what is going on in Greece.