How to Combat Filter Bubbles and Polarisation

 

In order to combat filter bubbles and the polarisation that they can cause, there are a number of actions that can be taken by individual social media users. Since the presence of these filter bubbles are often a result of algorithmic recommendations by the platform, the way in which the platform is utilised can result in different outcomes. In this post we will have a look at what we can do as users of social media in order to minimise the presence of filter bubbles in our own experience, as well as polarisation as a whole.

In terms of what can be done to alter the way the algorithm selects content for our feeds, we can change the data that is used by these platforms. Cookies are a tracker that stores data about what you view, search for and click on when browsing social media and the wider internet. Many websites now ask for permission to store and use cookies, with many giving a choice to opt out. Deleting or blocking the use of cookies means that there will be less data input into the algorithms, in turn resulting in less personal recommendations and feeds. Much like removing cookies, deleting your cached data and search history also can have an affect on the efficiency of tracking your online usage.

Other than changing the amount of data that can be fed into the algorithms, we can also change our own social media feeds to limit the effects of filter bubbles. One was this can be done is by following accounts that have different viewpoints in order to challenge our own. This not only allows us to see what this account has to post and share, but also may result in the algorithm recommending content similar to theirs, further broadening the horizons of what we see on social media.

We can also stray away from conversations online that are uncivil or that perpetuate harmful behaviours online. Interacting less with these types of posts may reduce the number of similar posts that are suggested to us in the future, as well as reducing their visibility to others. Avoiding the urge to share images or jokes that have hyperbolic or distasteful aspects about them that garner laughs and attention is also a way of reducing the normalisation of extreme views that lead to polarisation. These “bad jokes” (Kleinfeld & Sobel, 2020) are potentially even more polarising than outright statements regarding someone’s beliefs.

Given the recent trends towards political polarisation both on social media and in the wider world, it is even more vital to fight against the current of echo-chambers and extremism. These seemingly small steps that we can take regarding our own usage of social media can help to rid our feeds of filter bubbles and help to make social media a less polarised space.

To read more about how we can combat polarisation in our own sphere of social media, check out this article:

Kleinfeld, R. and Sobel, A. (2020). 7 ideas to reduce political polarization. and save America from itself., USA Today. Available at: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/07/23/political-polarization-dangerous-america-heres-how-fight-column/5477711002/