In 2010 activist Eli Pariser coined the term “filter bubble” during a TED talk. He called filter bubbles “our own universes of information,” a collection of perspectives formed when we are only exposed to news that confirm our beliefs. I don’t think even he could have predicted how relevant and widespread this phenomenon would become. With the sheer amount of content made available by the internet all of us have to do some filtering of information. The problem is that we end up disproportionately filtering out perspectives that conflict with our beliefs. This process is aided by social media platforms and search engines that make money for every click. These sites show you stories that you are more likely to click on which are usually from perspectives you agree with. Even if you’re signed out of Google when you search, Google still does its best to provide results that most closely align to your views based on factors such as your location and what web browser you’re using.
Our bubble not only impedes us from seeing the other side, it demonizes it. This hatred makes us avoid other perspectives even more strongly, resulting in a cycle of polarization. This cycle has created one of the most divided political landscapes in history. The Pew Research center, a leading source in information about politics, in their 2014 study on partisanship, found that divisions on issues such as government, race, immigration, national security, and environmental protection are reaching record levels year after year. The consequences of polarization and filter bubbles are clear looking at today’s political landscape. Blasted with a never ending series of today’s news, which is often loud, partisan, and rude, we tend to disengage from politics or resort to yelling across the aisles. This has resulted in a huge deadlock in Washington.
What we need is to add diversity to our bubbles, diversity in gender, race, religion, background, geography, and ideology. The effect of adding diversity to bubbles is almost magical; with very little effort people begin to empathize and understand the other side. The bubble pops. We start to have meaningful productive conversations about our differences. The politicians reflect their voters and the deadlock is lifted. “Democracy dies in darkness” is the motto of The Washington Post. The darkness today isn’t from lack of light, it’s from our aversion to it. By neglecting our duty as citizens to stay informed we’ve created a world without meaningful conversation. Our bubbles make us confidently ignorant, and I think it’s time for a change.