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Is it filter bubbles? ....or us?

When thinking about the Facebook filter bubble controversy, it instantly made me think about my own Facebook account. I have noticed that on my own account, many of the suggested articles and links, all have to do with things that I have previously clicked on or looked at. For example, I recently read articles on better ways to teach guided reading. I noticed that many of my suggested articles were about guided reading and education for a few weeks following. The idea that Facebook is "shaping my opinion" on things is scary.

Pariser perfectly outlines this when he talks about the balance between "information vegetables, dessert, and junk food". When thinking in terms of my own Newsfeed, I have noticed that it is often filled with "information dessert and junk food". Many times, it is not my choice. I am an avid reader of the "information vegetables" but I do occasionally read articles considered "information junk food". For example, when Princess Kate announced that she was pregnant with her third child, I read the news articles on it. For the next few days, my suggested articles revolved around royal family gossip. (I secretly love reading about the royal family and the history behind it!) Facebook immediately picked up on my interest and started suggesting articles that were similar. Most of these articles, did not come from a valid news source.

Jessica Conditt reported that Facebook has begun to redesign its suggested articles into a Trending News section. When I first read about this, I was a little bit shocked. The article was written in May of 2017, making it very relevant to today's issues. Yet, when I log onto Facebook, I do not notice any change. The articles that are "Trending" are often irrelevant news sources or topics that should not be considered the most important topics for the day. A great example would be the recent terror attack on the underground train system in London. The attack should have been a trending article, but instead Selena Gomez and her recent kidney transplant were considered to be "trending". It is shocking and appalling.

Facebook must combat the issue. Mariella Moon reported that "The study admits that the filter bubble is real...". If our society is going to function as informed citizens, Facebook must get rid of the filter bubble. Filtering issues is only going to make them worse. Uninformed or misinformed citizens will not solve problems. The filter bubble is frustrating for someone like myself who wants to view both sides of issues.

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  1. UnknownOctober 7, 2017 at 11:51 AM

    It is very sad that 5 and 6 years late this continues to be an issue. My favorite news aggregator app just started a "based on what you read" section and I actually find myself NOT clicking on things I am only vaguely because I don't want to find a bunch of articles on that coming up in my feed. Sad that I can't just peruse anymore... I have to mindful of the app keeping tabs on my tabs.

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