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Breaking out of the echo chamber loop

hunterclarke.me

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Re: Breaking out of the echo chamber loop

#11

Post by cblconfederate »

DC1350 wrote: post #7

Is there any proof that the algorithmic echo chamber is a real thing? I don’t use any social media that has algorithmic curation, but I still get the strong feeling that I’m in a bubble whenever I encounter other internet bubbles. How much is just caused by me choosing to see things I already agree with instead of a computer choosing for me?

how would you "prove" this? IMHO the algorithmic feeds of twitter and youtube are boring, or rather, surface extremely shallow and low effort content. I switch all my feeds (youtube, twitter, HN) to chronological mode now, and i think the future is the past: RSS . It forces you to follow few quality people to get good recommendations

Re: Breaking out of the echo chamber loop

#12

Post by biophysboy »

DC1350 wrote: post #7

Is there any proof that the algorithmic echo chamber is a real thing? I don’t use any social media that has algorithmic curation, but I still get the strong feeling that I’m in a bubble whenever I encounter other internet bubbles. How much is just caused by me choosing to see things I already agree with instead of a computer choosing for me?

I think about this too: does the internet modify human behavior, or capitalize on it? I mean, it does both, but I think historians would lean toward the latter.

Re: Breaking out of the echo chamber loop

#13

Post by DC1350 »

cblconfederate wrote: post #11
DC1350 wrote: post #7

Is there any proof that the algorithmic echo chamber is a real thing? I don’t use any social media that has algorithmic curation, but I still get the strong feeling that I’m in a bubble whenever I encounter other internet bubbles. How much is just caused by me choosing to see things I already agree with instead of a computer choosing for me?

how would you "prove" this? IMHO the algorithmic feeds of twitter and youtube are boring, or rather, surface extremely shallow and low effort content. I switch all my feeds (youtube, twitter, HN) to chronological mode now, and i think the future is the past: RSS . It forces you to follow few quality people to get good recommendations

I’m not sure how you would prove it. I just feel like everyone jumps on the idea that this is a technology problem when it might be caused by something else. Maybe more people really are experiencing the world differently and they seek out relatable media? Anecdotally, I don’t feel like Canada is any more divided than before which wouldn’t make sense if the American division was caused by algorithmic curation pushing extreme beliefs. We use all the same websites.

Re: Breaking out of the echo chamber loop

#14

Post by NoodleIncident »

DC1350 wrote: post #7

Is there any proof that the algorithmic echo chamber is a real thing? I don’t use any social media that has algorithmic curation, but I still get the strong feeling that I’m in a bubble whenever I encounter other internet bubbles. How much is just caused by me choosing to see things I already agree with instead of a computer choosing for me?

Facebook has claimed to have proved the opposite; at least in terms of political preferences, their study said that you're exposed to people of the opposite party more often online than you are in real life. I'm also not aware of any proof that algorithmic echo chambers are real, as compared with peoples' behavior offline. How many times do people check out a new author at a library, rather than more books from an author they like?

Re: Breaking out of the echo chamber loop

#15

Post by Pfhreak »

DC1350 wrote: post #7

Is there any proof that the algorithmic echo chamber is a real thing? I don’t use any social media that has algorithmic curation, but I still get the strong feeling that I’m in a bubble whenever I encounter other internet bubbles. How much is just caused by me choosing to see things I already agree with instead of a computer choosing for me?

Everyone is in a bubble. There's no human alive who is not in a bubble. The breadth of human social connections are too broad to not be in a bubble.

The idea that we somehow will be able to encounter a diverse range of opinions we disagree with but we are open to from people outside our tribe is asking a whole lot from both you and the outsiders.

Re: Breaking out of the echo chamber loop

#17

Post by cafard »

NoodleIncident wrote: post #14
DC1350 wrote: post #7

Is there any proof that the algorithmic echo chamber is a real thing? I don’t use any social media that has algorithmic curation, but I still get the strong feeling that I’m in a bubble whenever I encounter other internet bubbles. How much is just caused by me choosing to see things I already agree with instead of a computer choosing for me?

Facebook has claimed to have proved the opposite; at least in terms of political preferences, their study said that you're exposed to people of the opposite party more often online than you are in real life. I'm also not aware of any proof that algorithmic echo chambers are real, as compared with peoples' behavior offline. How many times do people check out a new author at a library, rather than more books from an au…

I imagine that one could do a thorough search without finding even a handful of MAGA yard signs in Takoma Park, Maryland, or Brookline, Massachusetts. No doubt there are many towns that have voted for no Democrat since LBJ, where Biden/Harris yard signs were hard to find.

I don't use Facebook, so I can't say about that. I don't really go on-line for political discussion at all.

Re: Breaking out of the echo chamber loop

#18

Post by sleepysysadmin »

DC1350 wrote: post #7

Is there any proof that the algorithmic echo chamber is a real thing? I don’t use any social media that has algorithmic curation, but I still get the strong feeling that I’m in a bubble whenever I encounter other internet bubbles. How much is just caused by me choosing to see things I already agree with instead of a computer choosing for me?

>Is there any proof that the algorithmic echo chamber is a real thing? I don’t use any social media that has algorithmic curation, but I still get the strong feeling that I’m in a bubble whenever I encounter other internet bubbles. How much is just caused by me choosing to see things I already agree with instead of a computer choosing for me?

There are multiple other factors beyond algo or yourself. 1 study I saw proving echo chambers used reddit r/history where their moderators enforce an echo chamber on purpose. They go way beyond banning viewpoints like holocaust denial. Even basic misunderstandings of non-controversial history are banned. Thus resulting in a objective echo chamber.

That same study went to look at more controversial subs and places like r/canada where moderators ban people for viewpoints they too have an objective echo chamber.

From my point of view echo chambers have been objectively proven to exist. In some cases that's the intention but ultimately echo chambers certainly exist.

Re: Breaking out of the echo chamber loop

#19

Post by sleepysysadmin »

_ktx2 wrote: post #4

Personally, I don't think it's worthwhile to try to game the algorithms that are in place for the experience you desire. I don't really believe people want out of echo chambers as much as they say they do. I don't find many conservatives dabbling in Modern Monetary Theory or many liberals trying to solve problems in rural America that already don't afflict their own groups. They're quite content sitting just where th…

>I started off with politics as an example because it's the first place I noticed this behavior, but it really stretches into any vein of interest that people have. There's entire rivalries that form around online personas or ideologies in a given domain that are just as divisive as politics, however, they stay penned up in their own domain so you only come across them when you're in communities of a certain mass.

Politics, religion, sports, nationality, money, and women are the given topics of trolling. That's where you will find all of the echo chambers and controversy.

Politics are easy targets because American politics are tremendously volatile. The USA has been at war longer than ever before. Obama got into power talking about ending wars(he earnt the nobel peace prize because of this) but instead he started multiple new wars. He killed people in at least 8 known countries under his orders.

Trump then got into power never really saying he was going to end any wars but at least he didnt start new ones? He was awfully close to multiple new ones. What did he do instead? He bullied the USA's allies.

The USA has ptsd and is finding enemies everywhere they go.

Will biden be different? Lol no chance. He already ordered a battalion back into syria and he's fabricating reasons to go to war with iran.

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