Nowadays, social networking sites are an essential part of our daily life. They enable us to be globally connected but also to be involved in shaping socially relevant topics and inform us about recent events in a matter of seconds.…
The content that echo chambers are made of
– Individual Selection & Social Influence –
Since people on the Internet inform themselves about political events and exchange, but at the latest with the advent of personalization algorithms in search engines and the dissemination of social media platforms, the question arises as to how online communication…
The opinion bots that silence citizens?
As part of today’s society, the use of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter serves as a mouthpiece for our own opinions. More and more frequently, there are announcements that among human actors also bots are present which shape…
Being confronted with „the other side“ – always a good way to go?
In the evolution of social systems, the concept of diversity of ideas, arguments, or ways of living has been consistently promoted as a crucial ideal of well-functioning (democratic) societies (Habermas, 1962; Mill, 1848). But why? It has been proposed that…
Myth 5: Through echo chambers, “fake news” have a stronger impact
In August 2016, in the middle of the U.S. presidential campaign, there was a rumor that the candidate Hillary Clinton was so poor in health that she would not be fit for the presidency. The news spread very quickly through…
Myth 4: Algorithms leave users helplessly exposed to filter bubbles.
Filter bubbles are created by algorithms that search engines, message aggregators, and social networking platforms use to personalize and customize information for each user. When taking information and opinion diversity as a democratic ideal, thus, filter bubbles could represent a…
#NoFilter: Is the Google algorithm leading to a filter bubble? Findings of the German project #Datenspende
The so-called filter bubbles represent a frequently discussed subject. Filter bubbles refer to homogeneous virtual spaces which originate from algorithms, leading people to get confronted predominantly with information that is in line with their preferences, interests, and opinions (“Addressing Myths…
Myth 3: Online echo chambers are responsible for contemporary political extremism
Why are online echo chambers, that is, spaces in which social media users are surrounded by like-minded others, a threat to democratic systems? One response to this question often is: Groups in which individuals mutually reinforce their opinions are most…
Myth 2: On social media, everybody is exposed solely to information and opinions that reinforce his/her political stance.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube rely on people expressing themselves freely on topics such as politics, sports, and everyday life. Since the term echo chamber has become subject to public debates, many assumptions and potentially detrimental effects have…
Myth 1: Ever since there are social media, people are trapped inside echo chambers
When addressing echo chambers, we may particularly deal with two different matters: Echo chambers and their effects (such as attitude polarization) on the one hand and mechanisms and antecedents (such as selective user behavior) that potentially lead to the formation…
