Echo Chambers
An echo chamber is a room where you speak and you hear your voice echoed back at you, saying the same thing over and over again.
It is used to describe the same idea on social media. You post or share an opinion, or supporting anothers opinion and all your hear back from your social media contacts is everyone saying that they agree. No one argues a different view point, and if someones tries they are shouted down. You might hear the term 'filter bubble' which is a similar idea but refers to the way search engine and big companies only show you what they think you will like. You might also hear 'confirmation bias' which is related too.
This Echo chamber effect happens very easily on social media because of the way social media is set up:
- You open an account and add people you are friends with already
- A number of them will hold similar views on some topics to you (that is partly why you became friends in the first place / stay friends)
- You then start to share articles and links that you are interested in. Your friends do the same. Some of the links you get will introduce you to groups who are interested in the same things as you, or who have the same viewpoint.
- You join these groups and post there
- People there have the same thoughts (that is why you were interested in joining)
- You read the group posts which reflect what you are saying
Over time you read more and more that agrees with what you think, so you are shown more automatically by the system, and you become more convinced it is true. At the same time you see less and less opinions that are different to yours.
This isn't neccesarily dangerous but you need to be aware that your thinking is being narrowed by such things. Of course some people amongst your friends will have other opinions but will they keep posting them where you can see them knowing you disagree?
image credit: https://www.gapingvoid.com/
blog/2007/04/28/the-echo-chamber-revisited/
blog/2007/04/28/the-echo-chamber-revisited/
Song - echo chamber
What is an echo chamber?
