Blog Post #8

 EOTO Terms & Concepts

An echo chamber in simple terms is when someone is only surrounded by information that mirrors what they already believe, resulting in a self-reinforcing loop. This is not something that exists primarily online. For example, echo chambers are also created when people surround themselves only with like-minded individuals. While this is also an important area to study, the echo chambers created on the digital media are the most prevalent, and in my opinion the most dangerous of all. 

There are few, but notable pros to echo chambers. Echo chambers can create a more enjoyable for the viewers. In doing so, viewers' online experiences can be enhanced and they leave feeling fulfilled. Even with taking these considerations into account, echo chambers cons heavily outweigh the pros. By creating an environment where people are in a constant state of comfort, they are not able to learn how to grow. The most noteworthy negative implications echo chambers have are increasing political polarization and difficulty in understanding opposing viewpoints. It is also important to be aware of echo chambers because they are not only fueled by confirmation bias, but also create misinformation.

Echo chambers have always been around, but social media has increased the impact exponentially. This study done by Harvard examines how social media feeds act as echo chambers. With a society that is more and more reliant on social media, this is not only worrisome but dangerous. Additionally, with an increasing amount of sources using algorithms to ‘enhance viewership’, echo chambers are becoming easier to come by since your social media feed is now automatically personalized to you.

So how do echo chambers affect society as a whole? Primarily in spreading misinformation and increasing political polarization. The article What is a Social Media Echo Chamber? by the University of Texas at Austin explains its impact on everyday people in everyday context by asking “do you ever hear a friend or family member speak on a topic with the belief that “everyone” thinks the same way?”. This is a conversation I am sure everyone has in some shape or form been a part of. This exact question shows the implications that echo chambers have on society. By having people thinking that everything they see is fact and not seeing any other viewpoint to combat it, their willingness to engage in uncomfortable conversations decreases.

When taking a look at how different people are affected by echo chambers in different ways, it is quite interesting. A study by Sage Journals took a deeper look at just this. In this study, they concluded that more highly educated people are less susceptible to the impacts echo chambers can have because they tend to be more receptive of new information and are more aware that there are more viewpoints out there. This is also shown with more highly educated people being more open to critical thinking and expanding their knowledge through different perspectives. Another subset of people that this study looked at was elders. They found that as aging increases, so does the unwillingness to change one's beliefs. With this knowledge, we know that echo chambers are especially harmful to older people because they already have this barrier and by being in an echo chamber, they will only reinforce what they do not know.

Echo chambers become increasingly dangerous when thinking about the impact they can have on minorities and the LGBTQ+ community. It has been shown that due to echo chambers, reaching people outside of your established audience is much more difficult. Because of this, stigmatization increases along with discriminatory behaviors. The article How Do Social Media Algorithms Impact LGBTQ People? , it describes how while discrimination is not new, echo chambers are adding to the mix and creating another avenue. This article also explained that the social media algorithms have been shown to be uniquely harmful for people of color, disadvantaged groups, and the LGBTQ community. 

So what does all of this mean for you? If you do not think that you yourself are not impacted by echo chambers, you are wrong. Digital media echo chambers are changing the way we communicate with one another, how we understand new things, and how open we are to new information. It is important to realize that people may be hearing their own facts and that you must find a different approach to explaining differing viewpoints to them. By being aware of the array of information people are getting as well as that people think that the information they are getting is more truthful than others, we can learn how to more effectively communicate with one another and become less polarized.