As the number of online users continues to grow and develop, the internet islands become more segregated and soundproof. The way society describes and utilizes social media has consistently been changing history. However, for as long as man has communicated media, it has been social. Social media is an internet medium for communicating with others. The evolution of social networking platforms in the past years has raised many controversies on various spectrums. It has now become clear to us that social networking sites have become an integral part of every individual in society. As we experience more simplicity and the ability to utilize a wide variety of technology, the concerns have also grown, and so have the concerns about what kind of media we are using with the introduction of what many identify as filter bubbles.
Filter bubbles can be defined as the intellectual isolation that often occurs once websites opt to employ the usage of algorithms to carefully limit the information the user might be requiring. Moreover, the information provided to users by the website is given according to this assumption. In many instances, websites end up making such assumptions based on information regarding the user, such as browser history, search location, initial click behaviour and search history. From these elements, the websites end up presenting information that abides by the user’s past activity. Thus, a filter bubble ends up causing the user to acquire less contact with the actual viewpoints, resulting in the user becoming intellectually isolated. Theoretically, filter bubbles seem like principles of fiction novels or rankings of a conspiracy theorist.
This is because it is hard to imagine that a machine is capable of handpicking the material internet users are going to view. Despite this notion seeming impossible, it is sadly the sad truth of what exactly is going on with our modern technology. Every video a person sees, an online article they read or a song they decide to listen to ends up developing one’s personal profile. This profile ends up deciding what a person might be interested in. Filter bubbles are responsible for taking control and deciding on behalf of the user. Sadly, not many people are aware this is actually happening to them. To some, a filter bubble is essential as the algorithm helps the user avoid being overwhelmed with online information. Though this might be true, a filter bubble increases the chances of people having an impression that narrow self-esteem is all that is real, as access to diverse information is limited.
To some extent, the filter bubble is responsible for reinforcing biases as society is not able to see the full picture. Social media platforms act as a medium for information to be filtered since people tend to follow information that agrees with their beliefs and political orientation. When an individual sees things that only agree with what he/she agrees with, he/she ends up being biased over time. In an instance when the society is filled with individuals who are biased and each individual believes what he/she sees is right, a generation of real disconnect is developed. This is because people are not able to understand why other people conquer what they think; thus, society becomes disconnected. Through sheltering of information, a filter bubble contributes to confirmation biases as people don’t get an opportunity to learn the entire truth.
Data mining is regarded as an influential tool that has been created to gather and analyze large amounts of data without losing time. Some of the people who employ the usage of this tool include advertisers who aim to access large sets of unprecedented data and managers who aim to target the market. Data mining is problematic as information collected is sold to a third party without the knowledge of the user. The filter bubble is responsible for making data mining possible by limiting users’ information and creating profiles.
Another issue brought about by the filter bubble is the creation of fake news. As technology continues advancing and expanding, so does the issue of fake news. Fake news has gradually become a phenomenon in our modern digital age as social media plays a tremendous role in its viral spread. By people getting to know and recognizing that this pandemic does exist, it will become easy to stop the rumours and gossip that circulate on our social media platforms. Researchers argue that people ought to fully understand the creation of these online sites as well as figure out how people respond to them. Experts argue that a new phenomenon is emerging despite memory being disreputably fallible. With the help of social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, people have an opportunity to share their memories with groups of individuals, and this, according to psychologists, blurs a line between a person and collective memories.
The establishment of internet-based misinformation, such as fake news sites, has the potential to distort individual and collective memories in a very distressing way. Fake news can be defined as the misinformation that the media fraternity and their journalists intentionally spread through the use of social media platforms, broadcasting news media or news we see on television. The core intention of spreading the fake news is to mislead people and gain politically or financially. Social media platforms have been considered to play a crucial role in fueling fake stories, and they have also been responsible for replacing humans with algorithms. The probable impact of fake news might be exciting to a more discerning reader, but it has the power to cause unpredictable and also the tragic outcome. The government and society have tried to respond to this issue of fake news by eliminating the news stories entirely, but because of free speech rights together with the internet’s open nature, it has become impossible (Bridge, 2016). The only way this issue can be handled is by gradually teaching people about the existence of fake news and explaining some of the damaging effects that come with false news, and by doing so, it becomes easier to change their minds about producing phoney news.
Moreover, by letting society know that fake news is wrong news, it becomes easy to stop the spreading of false news. The community ought to know that counterfeit news is wrong news and thus should not believe it or spread it. In our modern world, hoaxes have been seen to migrate from mainstream papers and joined tabloid outriders such as The New Globe. Technology is responsible for changing the business world, something that was imaginable a decade ago, but the same technology is responsible for delivering and formulating fake news.
From the discussion above, it’s accurate to say that personalized content has slowly become an issue that society is struggling with. The solution to winning this battle of inaccurate news is to train people within the community to report news that is real and know the source of the news before they spread it. Protecting people’s right to free expression will also play a part in slowing down the rate by which fake news is spreading. It’s essential that members of society can differentiate real news from false reports as this will help to control the issue. If every individual played their part when it came to communicating the truth and not permitting bogus stories to deviate from them, then the pandemic of fake news could be managed. Moreover, by educating our future journalists, it becomes easy to handle this issue of fake news and eradicate it slowly. Filter bubbles are responsible for preventing users from accessing accurate information, thus limiting how an individual feels and thinks.
