Where is the constructive criticism and open-minded social tissue at in this society?
In a society lead by algorithms we may be getting used to be non critical even at the most basic decision levels.Just a single search on a web engine and the first page got the same info.
Common sense says if everyone does what the first google results page say about successful blogging then everyone would be successful right?
Well,that’s not the reality, maybe the reason lays in page 10 for some and page 34 to others ,there are not ABSOLUTE TRUTHS.
Just clustered info about different perceptions or contexts.
In those searches there are no opossite point of views clustered in the same page results,everything is…homogenic until you start moving down the result pages,then you may see the opposite points of view appearing.
The most clicked result is the best ? , it depends.
The most popular OPINION may not be the best suited for your REALITY.
The best answer for each one of us is obtained after we know the all the possible opinions about something and then we apply our own criteria to it.
We are too polarized because we are being spoon-feed curated opinions left and right and we can’t handle ideological debate and accept we may be wrong.
The Netflix example
We start up Netflix and get flooded by sugested films, but what if someone would like more a Western instead a Drama? so in the end that someone is forced to watch a Drama because the algoritm believes that’s the best choice.
How an algorithm may suggest something it dosen’t have possitive data input?.
Maybe the user was in the mood to watch dramas five months ago but he may rather prefer a Western actually.
What if the user even didn’t know a genre existed?
Only when the user starts watching Netflix and picking the films from an ample pool may be somewhat “free”,but at each pick the pool choices get narrower until he/she is only offered to watch what the algorithm estimates he/she may enjoy the most.
This is just an example,it’s happening to all levels in our daily lives.
Nothing wrong with constructive critical tought
Society is getting lazy when we talk about ideas and reasoning.The more you believe on what you see the more you are susceptible to manipulation.
The only way to change something is being aware that it exists.
So the first step to not falling prey of filtering bubbles is being aware there are other choices and make and effort to search for them.
If you repeat a behaviour over and over the algorithms will narrow over and over the choices trying to optimize the choices but the consumer in the end is losing the freedom of choice or the awe of discovering new things,new point of views.
How to fight the filter bubble?
The obvious fix is to force yourself to read opposite points of views, listen to different music, watch other kind of films.
Do not stand still while being spoon-feed ,don’t get used to be given what you must consume mindlessly.
Don’t be afraid of being wrong, if you are right all the time then something is not right.
Closing comments
Having all the info clustered is not a bad thing,but clustered info is not absolute.There is nothing absolute,not even death.
If something didn’t happen doesn’t mind it’s not possible.
Even scientifical principles are subject to change,what if our basic perceptions are biased too?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_theory
Remember Schrödinger’s Cat Paradox?
Why people are able to discover this kind of things? because they don’t believe in everything they see,they are critical.
That’s why The Matrix is such an amazing film,teaches exactly that.
In the end the solution is to be Open-minded and not afraid of being wrong.
Do not refuse constructive criticism,respect other points of view even if they disagree.
Their reality may be different than yours.