Tailored MEdia
Have you ever seen an ad or a search result that conveniently fits into your interests? That one ad that makes you whip out your credit card, or that headline that confirms your vote for a political candidate? It all seems easy, way too easy. You even wonder if you’re being monitored.
Lately, people have been able to find stories that are of importance to them and align with their interests. This is not a coincidence because it’s media just for you. It’s tailored propaganda to whatever your demographics and interests are. There are specific logarithms in your search engines and social media to know your political alignment. It does this to promote or publicize a particular political view.
Your opinions are basically instigated by what you search on the internet. There really isn’t any diversity in the search results you obtain because they are tailored to your opinions. In Are Google’s Personalized Results Making Us Politically Partisan, an article by Gregory Ferenstein, he describes it as a cacoon and an echo chamber of political information that a searcher receives when they use Google. It’s an extension of your own opinion instead of receiving results that present different information. The search engine giant personalizes your searches using data like your search history and location to spew out the results it does.
Sometimes personalized information can be beneficial because it ensures that you get results that matter to you. Although in a way, it wasn’t like you asked for this media filter. At times it’s convenient to have information that goes along with your beliefs but in terms of real-world information and politics, it’s almost never convenient, and you shouldn’t have access to just convenient information. You often miss out on information that would otherwise be to your benefit because Google is busy being your yes man.
This is where media literacy becomes important. If you’re going to be an active participant in a democracy you need more than just reconfirmations of your opinions. As a citizen, you should have access to as much information as possible so that you can make conscious decisions for yourself and make necessary reforms.
In a scenario where you are in support of potential presidential candidate Cory Booker, you would want to know more about his policies. You will most likely see positive articles about him, giving you the tailored perspective while someone else who is politically neutral would have an array of articles and information having more accurate coverage about Booker and his political profile.
As a citizen, you have the right to know as much information as you can. Having a decent amount of media literacy will make you a better participant in democracy. It’s essential to be aware of the state journalism and media is in now and know that personal propaganda is in full effect each time you type something in your search bar.
