No one likes to think we are biased. We all like to believe that we are open-minded. But are we?
It’s less than one week to the 2022 midterm elections and I’m exhausted. I vowed not to watch any political TV ads this year, whether local, state or national, and I’ve done pretty well sticking to that thanks to the mute button on my remote. Frankly, I’m not sure why anyone would watch TV ads, whether blue or red, given ads’ propensity for exaggeration, fabrication, innuendo and outright lies.
But TV ads only scratch the surface of the firehose-like stream of information coming our way. Another way we can be negatively influenced is when we only have access to information that confirms what we already think (or think we know) about an issue. This is often called an echo chamber.
GCFGlobal defines an echo chamber as “an environment where a person encounters information or opinions that reflect and reinforce their own. Echo chambers can create misinformation and distort a person’s perspective so they have difficulty considering opposing viewpoints and discussing complicated topics.” And echo chambers can be online or in person when we listen to only others who believe what we believe.
Online echo chambers are often created for us when we limit the sources of information we read, share or discuss to only those ideas that match our own. When our Facebook “friends” are like us, “filter bubbles” are created by algorithms that keep track of what we click. Websites will then use those algorithms to show content that’s similar to what you’ve already expressed interest in. And this can prevent you from finding new ideas and perspectives online.
Echo chambers may be online, but they may also exist in person.
“Groups of like-minded people tend to become more extreme over time in the way that they’re like-minded,” says Bill Bishop, a journalist who wrote the influential book “The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America is Tearing Us Apart” in 2008. More and more people in the U.S. are moving to cities or states where people who have similar values already live.
Recognizing an echo chamber can be tricky and not readily apparent. If a social group or website looks or sounds like an echo chamber, ask yourself these questions:
• Do they tend to only give one perspective on an issue?
• Is that viewpoint mainly supported by rumor or incomplete evidence?
• Are facts ignored whenever they go against that viewpoint?
Another aspect of echo chambers is that they fuel something called “confirmation bias,” a tendency to favor information that reinforces existing beliefs. Psychologists tell us that we all have confirmation bias. Even if you believe you are very open-minded and only observe the facts before coming to conclusions, it’s very likely that some bias will shape your opinion in the end.
Confirmation bias is particularly problematic because it does not allow a person’s perspective to change based on evidence. It enables people with opposing beliefs to dig their heels in further rather than to adapt their mindset to the surroundings.
Fake news takes advantage of social media by using sensationalist headlines and making unproven claims. Readers see these untrue articles, which align with their biased perspectives, and repost or share them, further spreading the misinformation. That is “confirmation bias.”
What can we do to stay out of echo chambers and move beyond confirmation bias? First, make a habit of checking multiple news sources, especially those that are complete and objective sources. Second, interact with people who have different perspectives and discuss new ideas with facts, patience and respect. Finally, remember that just because you want something to be true, doesn’t make it fact.
With the midterm elections coming right up and the next presidential election in 2024, we must remember that the problem is not too much information available to us. The problem is the misinformation, alternative facts and disinformation that come our way.
For more information about echo chambers and confirmation bias, here are two useful resources: edu.gcfglobal.org/en/digital-media-literacy/what-is-an-echo-chamber/1/ and thedecisionlab.com/biases/confirmation-bias.
BoomerTECH Adventures (boomertechadventures.com) provides expert guidance and resources to help Boomers and older adults develop competence and confidence using their Apple devices. Boomers themselves, BoomerTECH Adventures rely on their skills as educators to create experiences that meet individual needs through videos, Zoom presentations, tech tips, and timely blog posts.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
