In my class, Digital Freedom with Professor Kyo Ho Youm, we have discussed many issues regarding the freedom of the Internet and democracy. Throughout the term we are reading Republic.com 2.0 by Cass R. Sunstein. Sunstein struck a chord with me in his discussion of the functions of an echo chamber. The term echo chamber refers to the individualization that occurs when filtering news or information. You converse with people who have the same interests as you, you read news that pertains to your interests, and you throw out or disregard other topics.
The reason the idea of an echo chamber interests me, is from my personal experience. Since I have been in school, I have not owned a T.V. in three years. I receive my news from word of mouth, online news sites such as BBC, Twitter feeds, the campus newspaper, and the N.Y. Times. Although there is a variety in the medium I choose to gather my information from, I act as my own personal filter. Online it is easy to look over headlines and decide if they interest me or not. I read the blogs of public relations professionals, crafters, and designers. I network and chat with those same people. This is my echo chamber. I consume news and information relevant to my interests and profession. For example, I usually always dismiss sports articles, but pay close attention to tech articles and political or national news.
As a result of my own experience, the echo chamber can present challenges for our changing society. I think it is very important for young generations to understand what an echo chamber is and how it functions. We all gather information differently and selectively, making each persons’ views on a topic differ. We need to understand that sometimes to step out of one’s comfort zone results in a richer learning experience.
I will be writing a research paper about the topic. Please let me know if you have any resources, relevant material or simply an opinion on the issue.
Please take a look at Chris Pirillo’s post: 10 Ways to Eliminate the Echo Chamber.
