Although filter bubbles and confirmation bias are phenomena that cannot be directly labeled as misinformation, they can act together to skew the way information is presented to you on online platforms. Furthermore, they provide you with an inaccurate, one-sided picture of the discussion around an issue or event.
If left unchecked, filter bubbles and confirmation bias can create an environment ripe for misinformation and make you more vulnerable to its spread.
Confirmation bias refers to our tendency to seek out, interact with, and give greater attention to content that conforms to our existing viewpoints and beliefs. While it exists in a variety of situations, confirmation bias can be especially prevalent in the consumption of news media.
One of the best ways to fight confirmation bias is to be aware that it exists. Take note of your own biases and how they impact the way that you interact with information. In the case of news media, seek out alternative viewpoints and view multiple news sites to get the most accurate picture of discussions surrounding a topic.
Search engines, social media sites, and other online platforms use algorithms to track what you click on and tailor future content to your interests. This doesn't seem like a bad thing, right? With so much information available online, having a social media feed or search engine results curated by algorithms to meet our past searching behavior can make finding information so much easier.
The unintended consequence of this personalized information environment, however, is that we can end up in a filter bubble, a term coined by Eli Pariser to describe the issue of being exposed to information that confirms to your beliefs and interests while being isolated from other viewpoints (See Social Media Algorithms for a discussion of how this applies directly to social media platforms).
Video Source: TED | Eli Pariser | TED2011 | March 2011
The Filter Bubble (Libby Audiobook) by
In December 2009, Google began customizing its search results for each user. Instead of giving you the most broadly popular result, Google now tries to predict what you are most likely to click on. According to MoveOn.org board president Eli Pariser, Google’s change in policy is symptomatic of the most significant shift to take place on the Web in recent years-the rise of personalization. In this groundbreaking investigation of the new hidden Web, Pariser uncovers how this growing trend threatens to control how we consume and share information as a society-and reveals what we can do about it.... The Filter Bubble reveals how personalization undermines the Internet’s original purpose as an open platform for the spread of ideas and could leave us all in an isolated, echoing world.
Knowing and understanding that online information is being filtered is the first step to combating the issue.
Try to seek out viewpoints and ideas that are different from your own. Avoid getting your news from one source.
Be on the lookout for bias in yourself and the information source you are engaging with. Avoid overly biased information sources & beware of confirmation bias.
Take a moment to evaluate the credibility of claims and information sources before engaging with or sharing the content.
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