The Filter Bubble
Eli Pariser’s TED talk made me realize a lot about how the internet is editing the information we receive via search engines and social networking. I always knew that Facebook catered to people’s individual interests by editing the newsfeed and ads along the sidebar, but the google search on Egypt that Pariser talked about was particularly surprising. It is insane that one person can search “Egypt” and obtain websites that simply provide basic information about the country, while another person of similar background will receive information regarding the politics and major events of the regions.
With this “filter bubble”, discovering new information will become an increasingly difficult task. Because information that each user receives is geared towards their previous searches and online activity, what happens if he/she wants to break the mold and find sources that talk about something unrelated to anything previously explored? Of course, there has to be some way of filtering data, for there is a ridiculous amount, but as Pariser said, there should be a mix of what shows up with searches. We need to see a bit of everything, including potentially uncomfortable/disturbing topics, to know what is occurring in the world and truly connect online.
(Source: ted.com)
