The Problems with "Echo Chambers"

With the omnipresence of social media in the modern world, a phenomenon called "Echo Chambers" has become prevalent among many young minds. It refers to situations in which society is polarised due to people encountering information or opinions online that always reflect and amplify their beliefs. This is similar to real-life echo chambers in which sounds reverberate in hollow enclosure creating acoustic echoes that are amplified after each reflection creating a homogenizing effect. Large technology companies that essentially control everything that an average person consumes on the internet want to extend your watch time. To achieve this they would always show you content that reinforces your initial beliefs and also content that put a negative perspective on opinions that do not line up with yours. This will encourage you, the consumer to spend greater time on their platforms leading up better profits for the companies. To better understand this, let's say you, an average person on the internet come across a video on Twitter about how Apple phones are way better than Samsung's flagship phones which is your first exposure. Then you look into it a little more before making a purchase, but since you would come across more content that supports your first exposure, you dwell into the belief that Apple is the only right choice to make. Eventually, this leads to selective exposure to channels with like-minded people that repeat the claims that you want to hear and harmonize with you. Now, a few months later, you are surrounded by products that make up an Apple ecosystem, you follow Apple on social media, and in the future, you strongly believe that it is the best decision and don't ever think twice before making any purchase because it goes against your tribalistic ideas. 

This is particularly a problem when it affects bigger spheres of influence where the general population might adhere to seemingly epistemic practices with no particular thought process. A good example is how in the modern era the people are more politically polarised than ever before. In social media, such people tend to form social networks that often indulge in discussions that speak negatively upon the opposite party's ideologies. Due to this people are simply not ready to even give a chance to a viewpoint that may oppose their belief system. This already existed even in offline communities wherein cultural and religious views often clashed with no particular common ground. But with the advent of social media, it is reinforced to a point where people are more comfortable surrounding themself in their epistemic bubbles and filtering content as they please without ever trying to objectively judge an entity or practice. As an average person what you can do is avoid falling into these traps by simply taking a step back every now and then and trying your best to understand a viewpoint that you negatively perceive. We need to respect others' opinions even when we don't agree with them. The Internet has provided us access to a wide range of readily available information but be aware of the big picture and know that you always hold the key to breaking the shackles that society imposed on you.