Time to get out of the “filter bubble”
Algorithms often determine what content you see on the internet. Here are a few tips to help you escape the filter bubble.
Much like the universe, the Internet is growing and expanding every single day. New information and websites are added several times a day. As of January 2021, there are currently over 1.83 billion websites!
Such an amount of content has to be organized and structured, of course, because it is impossible to make everything completely equally available to everyone. Imagine a library filled with all the books in the world, but no organization system in place or a librarian to help you find what you’re looking for. Thus, most platforms on the Internet use algorithms to help sort content according to relevance for individual users.
What’s an algorithm?
An algorithm is a set of rules that describes how to perform a task. Sounds like a broad description, right? Well, it is because there are many different types of algorithms. In this article, we’ll focus mainly on algorithms that help you navigate the web and find content. Just remember, an algorithm can be
Many of these algorithms are self-learning and constantly improving as it is fed with data. So when you use a non-private search engine or social media platform like Facebook, the algorithm learns what content interests you, what pages you visit more frequently, and how long you stay on any given page, etc. This is how they are able to filter and personalize results.
That doesn’t sound so bad at first, does it? After all, if you want to find information as quickly and seamless as possible, why wouldn’t you rely on an algorithm to filter down your results? However, this can be problematic when an algorithm catapults you into a filter bubble and limits your exposure to different viewpoints.
Trapped in the filter bubble
In his famous TED Talk Beware online “Filter Bubbles, Eli Pariser shows how search engines show different people different results for the same search query.
Your filter bubble is your own personal, unique universe of information that you live in online. And what’s in your filter bubble depends on who you are, and it depends on what you do. But the thing is that you don’t decide what gets in. And more importantly, you don’t actually see what gets edited out.
Eli Pariser
Youtube video: Beware online “filter bubbles” – Eli Pariser
Why should you care about filter bubbles? You are only shown information that matches your previous preferences and your profile. Since these are different for all users, everyone will find themselves in their own individual information universe. This phenomenon also exists offline. People create their own filter bubble every day by tuning and out off conversations, picking specific new channels, and surrounding themselves with people who share similar interests and views.
So, what’s the difference between curating your bubbles and what algorithms are doing? Offline, you actively determine what our filter bubble looks like. You choose this and that knowing well what your options are. Online, algorithms decide what information you see. Big Tech chooses what sources you have access to.
The good news: Nowadays the filter bubble is no longer classified as being as dangerous to democracy as it was thought 10 years ago. Nevertheless, the algorithms and how they work are omnipresent and, above all, not transparent. They are constantly changing and offer the technical possibility to create personalized worlds.
Why the filter bubble can be dangerous
In social media in particular, filtered information actually makes sense and can even be beneficial. At least in theory. Here users want to see relevant content from close friends. Users want to learn more about topics that interest them.
But, that also has a downside. It means you are less and less confronted with different content, different opinions, and different perspectives. If you think about the formation of political opinion on the Internet, it quickly becomes clear where the danger lies. If social media confirms our existing opinions, above all, we run the risk of no longer being objectively informed. The more we only consume content that corresponds to our opinion in a passive posture, the less capable we become of discourse.
This year, Germany has a super election year. Coming up in 2022, the US will be faced with midterm elections. And, we have yet to make it out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Accessing unfiltered information can make all the difference in helping your form your own opinion. Below are some tips on how to escape the filter bubble.
This is how you free yourself from the filter bubble
Actively search for different point of views.
Actively look into perspectives that may challenge your personal opinion. Confront yourself with different news sources. Instead of sticking to only one social media platform, check out different platforms. Subscribe to channels whose opinion differs from your personal position. If anything, it will give you a more comprehensive understanding of different positions and opinions.
You can use Startpage’s News Tab to get unfiltered news results for any given search query. Startpage will never track you or give you filtered search results. And, our Anonymous View feature takes you a step beyond private search by letting you visit search results in private. Test it out!
Don’t leave a trace.
Your personal data is incredibly valuable. Algorithms use it to evaluate you and filter the content you see. An easy way to avoid this is by keeping your online activity private. Review your privacy settings to make sure you’re not giving away personal details like age, income, and political party. For more tips on how to keep your personal data privacy, check out our privacy guides.
Keep an eye out for manipulative ads.
For all articles, always examine the headline and source. Whether you’re reading your social media feed, browsing the web, or searching on a non-private search engine, there’s a reason why you’re being served a specific ad. It was targeted to you with the hope to persuade you.
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