Biases in Information
In an age of technology, we are constantly surrounded by information and messages from others. This may occur through news articles, Instagram posts, suggested Google articles, viral TikToks, and more. There is no shortage of content in the world.
Receiving Information
The way we receive information can come through networked associations like links and tagging, search engines with algorithms and search terms used, and cookies with tracking through websites and apps. We see networked associations and tagging on Medium even with recommending articles based on followed tags. For instance, when I open my Medium For You page, I see recent postings from my classmates as well as recommended articles about topics in that I have expressed interest. This technology is able to track what read most and identify what I may want to see most.
With most websites tracking users, it is easy to become caught up in your virtual habits and forget how public our technological footprint is. Honestly, most of the time I don’t even recognize or remember that a site is tracking me. Then, I am suddenly shocked to see a pair of shoes I had been looking at earlier in an ad. Algorithms also work to personalize what we view. TikTok is the algorithm I encounter most. Occasionally, I find trends working their way onto my For You Page on TikTok; however, I have found that favoriting certain sounds and hashtags helps to keep my For You Page in its most authentic and relevant state.
Understanding Information
Because my For You Page is made up of videos that are relevant to my interests, I am more likely to watch the videos. They capture and hold my attention — an important commodity we have discussed in class. Dr. Richard had told our class how attention, not access to information, is a scarcity. It can be difficult to identify that something is of interest or worth paying attention to, especially. This means that we have to make quick decisions about where to turn our attention — to swipe or not to swipe.
It can also be difficult to decide whether the information is credible or trustworthy. With the access that technology provides to information, it can be confident in our own internet literacy as well as the biases that we are exposed to. From our class discussion, it seemed that most college-aged students do not have confidence in their ability to discern trustworthy information online. This makes it difficult to make longer-term decisions about the media we consume and its effect on us.
Consuming Bias
Bias is the idea that we are inclined to think or respond in a certain way. This is not always a bad thing and can occur unconsciously or consciously. Bias can also show up in the language and statistics we use to talk about a subject. During class discussion, we discussed words that can be used to describe the Russia-Ukraine situation and how they can change how we think about it. For instance, a word like “war” would paint a more serious and deadly picture than “incident” likewise with “invasion” and “conflict.” Statistics can be used to help an argument, especially if you avoid using counterpoints or counter-statistics. This can create a misrepresentation of an argument and a biased understanding of the topic.
Every person and article has bias. There is no way to be unbiased, but we can do our best to recognize our biases and how they can affect our viewpoints. We can strive to limit biases by finding more neutral media and sources of information. We used the Interactive Media Bias website to learn about the biases that popular media outlets. By taking time to research the ways we access information, we can learn be more mindful of the content we consume and the bias that comes with it.
