Popping the Information Bubble

In Eli Pariser’s TedTalk, he discusses the idea of the information bubble, and how in our age of connectivity, we may be more isolated informationally than ever. Algorithms now control what information we see when we google search or scroll through our news feeds. We aren’t getting the full story and that is something incredibly dangerous. If a young person from a rural town in the middle of America goes online and all he sees are articles about Muslim extremists, because that’s what his friends are liking and commenting on, he may believe the same thing. However, if he could also learn about the Muslims all over the world doing good, he would have a more well-rounded picture of the situation. We cannot shield people from information just because it’s not what they necessarily care about most. Our society requires that everyone have access to the information they need to make educated decisions and form opinions.