Blog Post #8

 EOTO Terms & Concepts: Echo Chamber 

An echo chamber is an environment in which a person encounters only beliefs or opinions that coincide with their own, so that their existing views are reinforced and alternative ideas are not considered. 

Echo chambers are often compared to a bubble. People surrounded by opinions and view points that mimic their own. This leads to lack of information and often misinformation because the whole picture isn't put on display. A lot of the time people are unconsciously part of an echo chamber, especially in the age of social media. Social media users tend to follow and engage with content from creators that have views and ideas similar to their own. This contributes to the spread of misinformation because they blindly  follow these influencers who sometimes have no information to back up their opinions. It is easy to believe something that an individual says if you have the same views as them, you are less likely to question the validity of their opinion. 

Echo chambers can be particularly harmful to society, and often lead to extreme views and beliefs. When people are constantly surrounded by like minded people, opinions, and views they become less willing to hear the other side to the story. It also discourages people from fostering relationships with people that are different than them, decreasing diversity within society as a whole. People who are part of echo chambers have a hard time feeling empathy for those with opposing views whether that be about religion, politics, economics, etc... It can cloud the judgement of individuals and limit their ability to be open minded and susceptible to differing opinions. 

While echo chambers are mostly viewed as negative they do have some positive effects. They can provide individuals with a sense of community and belonging. It provides a sense of comfort for those involved, being surrounded by people that are similar to you can make you feel seen and valued. They can also play a role in creating a strong identity, especially for those who are part of an underrepresented or marginalized group. This could mean those that are part of the LGBTQ community, those with a low socio-economic status, cultural and racial minorities, etc... These groups can often be silenced by those with different backgrounds and opinions. Echo chambers provide these individuals with a safe space to voice their opinions and feel supported. 

My generation is particularly involved with social media, it has become part of our everyday lives. Tik Tok and Instagram are particularly popular among my friends and I. We all have creators and influencers that we follow closely and enjoy their content. Two of my best friends are particularly left leaning while the rest of us are more right leaning. We don't often discuss politics but when we do it can definitely create uncomfortable situations and feelings. When we get news from social media they are often tailored to our beliefs due to the algorithm of these apps. These apps intentionally show you content that you like rather than dislike because they want you to be an avid user. This creates a disconnect between myself and my friends that have different values and beliefs than me. Personally I would say that I am able to take a step back and see situations and discussions from a different point of view. However I have observed that some of my friends are unable to or won't allow themselves to see anything from a different point of view. Echo chambers on social media definitely play a part in this.