Filter bubble

Along with help on analysing news stories and evaluating information provided on this guide, it’s also important to be aware of the issues of personalisation, filter bubbles and echo chambers when interacting with online media sources.  These issues are also an important aspect of your digital identity.

The term ‘filter bubble’ was created by Eli Pariser, author of the book The filter bubble: what the Internet is hiding from you. 

According to Pariser, as our online experience has become increasingly personalised, we’re at risk of being isolated from information which doesn’t fit with our existing views and opinions. This personalisation works by platform and website algorithms selecting the information we see online, based on our previous online activity, our search history and what we chose to click on, share and comment on.     

Watch Eli Pariser’s TED talk about his discovery of filter bubbles.

Oxford Learners Dictionary defines an echo chamber as ’an environment in which somebody encounters only opinions and beliefs similar to their own, and does not have to consider alternatives.’

We all have our personal echo chambers and they can be reassuring as we connect with people with similar political and cultural opinions.  But as echo chambers reinforce and amplify our existing beliefs we’re less exposed to differing viewpoints and opinions.  Echo chambers can cut us off from a wider perspective on the outside world.

If you feel you’re in an echo chamber what can you do?  The simplest action is to find other points of view.  If you’re a natural Guardian reader why not try reading other newspapers such as The Telegraph or Daily Mail?  If your heart is really with ConservativeHome then why not balance that with Novara media?  Whatever side you’re on we all need to check our biases and get out of our echo chambers.