Filter Bubbles: Should they be Bursted? Absolutely.
It is a time in history like no other. We are living in the revolutionary digital age where brilliant creations like the internet have allowed for the ease of information publication as well as easy access to vast amounts of knowledge. However, in this seemingly endless stream of information that all of us have such easy access to thanks to technology, how is it that information that challenges our opinions and views on the world appear to becoming harder to find? The answer to this troubling question is the filter bubble.
You might be wondering, what the hell is a “filter bubble”? Well, to put it simply, a filter bubble is a technique that restricts the exposure of certain information and contrasting points of view to provide selective information based on what a person likes, thus creating a personal “bubble” of knowledge. This process primarily takes place online and is prevalent on social media. The term “filter bubble” was coined by internet activist Eli Pariser who noticed this filtering on Facebook and later discovered that Google is also practicing the filtering. In a 2011 TED Talks, Pariser gave the examples of how Facebook posts from his conservative friends disappeared from his feed (since he is politically progressive) and how his friends received different search results when googling “Egypt” (one friend being given instant results about political situations in Egypt, while the other received tourist information). This is Google and Facebook’s strategic, algorithmic method to essentially block out undesired information to specifically cater to the user’s opinions, and it happens without the user’s knowledge.
While filter bubbles create social media safe spaces, I find it to be seriously concerning. This is because algorithmic filtering is essentially a form of online censorship, which is problematic and could potentially result in unforeseen consequences. The filter bubble is a problem because it restricts the flow of different points of view, generates large amounts of bias, and strengthens divisions and tensions in online communities and this is why social media companies should seek to “burst” these filter bubbles.
There are several good reasons as to why filter bubbles should be eliminated and I shall provide you with some. First of all, it will reduce bias amongst social media users greatly. By exposing users to challenging opinions, not only will it allow other voices to be heard, let alone seen on opposing users’ feeds but will also heighten the intellectual capacity for all users of all viewpoints abroad, reducing the intellectual isolation that the filter bubble creates. Eliminating filter bubbles can also encourage critical thinking amongst users and initiate meaningful discussions. Instead of people reading something on their Facebook feeds and blindly accepting it as fact as they take comfort in their filter bubble, they can analyze information on both sides of the spectrum and draw their own conclusions. In the grand scheme of things, bursting filter bubbles will eradicate the “dams” in the stream of information. In addition, social media companies can be awarded with maintaining intellectual integrity. Bursting the filter bubble would be promoting knowledge, which I personally believe is absolutely admirable.
The second, and more political reason as to why social media companies should burst filter bubbles is that censoring information and exposing people to only certain perspectives can be disastrous, I’ll explain why. If you were not already able to tell by now, I am generally against censorship. While I do understand the good reasons for the existence of censorship, I am more concerned about the negative implications of it for reasons explained rather well by a piece from The Spectator, “Freedom of speech is compromised. Media giants can push their agendas under the censorship. It hinders upon the freedom of the press. It shelters people from things that they need to know about. Censorship in books, plays, and movies may affect the overall feeling and meaning of the writing.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. Although social media users have the freedom to basically post whatever they want, the algorithmic filtering traps many other users in their filter bubble, drastically reducing the chance of being noticed online. Also, if filter bubbles are terminated, the people who are “sheltered from things they need to know about” can no longer fear being silenced as they will be granted the ability to speak out against false narrative publications by news corporations. Because of this filtering of news and information, it is no surprise that the vast amounts of people who thought Hillary Clinton was guaranteed to win the 2016 US election and Brexit was not going happen were proven wrong. Coming back to censorship, I’d like to bring up the input of Oliver Luckett and Michael J. Casey, authors of The Social Organism, who say that “executing on [censorship] becomes extremely complicated and can breed authoritarian instincts” as well as “trying to censor any speech is not only likely to fail but is harmful to cultural development” (36). The filter bubble being in place creates the potential of harming cultural and intellectual development and can result in something horrible. Subjecting people exclusively to certain points of view and single outlooks of the world, leaving their opinions unchallenged, will cause them to be constantly absorbed in their “bubble of information” and their opinions being constantly validated by other sources. This can lead to unbalanced mindsets and create extremism, thus making the filter bubble a breeding mechanism for extremism.
To conclude, I say it is a responsibility for social media companies to burst filter bubbles for the sake of culture and intellect as well as the preservation of freedom of speech and the allowance of a free flowing stream of information.
#RTA902
References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8ofWFx525s
https://www.waterloo.k12.ia.us/schoolsites/thespectator/censorship-does-both-harm-good
Luckett, Oliver, and Michael J. Casey. The Social Organism: A Radical Understanding of Social Media to Transform your Business and Life. New York: Hachette, 2016. Print.
