Smarter Phones, Dumber People
The most recent election taught and will continue to teach us many things about society, whether it teaches us how to think critically of the media or how to perfect a comb over. One thing that has specifically been brought to our attention, are the filter bubbles we live and socialize in. There are many people who were genuinely surprised about the election results, when announced, including myself. In my personal social media, I favoured Hillary’s side by liking “#ImWithHer” and feminist posts. I can’t even imagine what my social media knows about me, that clearly led them to shut me into this filter bubble. So, it was a surprise to me when I found out who the 45th President of the United Stated was, but now I realize my eyes were only half open.
In today’s world, we are largely depending on our Twitter and Facebook trending topics to find out any important daily news, rather than turning the TV on to watch the six o’clock news. The availability of these sources has made social media users apathetic and passive because we now expect any relevant information to be ready for us. We have gotten used to not having to go out of our way to find out other points of view or any other pieces of information the media might be minimizing for the sake of ratings. I think that people should be informed of the whole truth, all the negatives and the positives, and not just what fits in their bubble. By being well informed, members of society are then able to make smart decisions, rather than ignorant ones, and they can formulate logical opinions.
Diversity in opinions can be a positive thing in our society, if we are able to respect others. For example, in Toronto, there is an immense variety of cultures, religions and backgrounds. Depending on life experiences, everyone has different beliefs and thoughts, which if shared, can lead to growth and learning. By sharing and listening to other points of view, we could create critical thoughts, open our minds and maybe learn from past mistakes.
In my opinion, if social media is going to have such an impact on our everyday lives, these platforms should burst our filter bubbles and help us be well informed. Technology does make our lives easier in some ways, but it shouldn’t make us ignorant. Now that Facebook and Google are working on this “fake news” issue, things might get better, but we have to remember to stay active and not get trapped in filter bubbles.
