Some Facts and Figures!

Now that we've explained how polarisation and filter bubbles work, you may want to know how common they are and hence, why it is so crucial to be informed on this subject. In this week's blog posts, we will provide you with some facts and figures about polarisation and filter bubbles, so that you are aware of how easily they can arise and just how at risk we are of falling victim to them, especially if we are using social media as out main source of news.

Reuters Digital News Report in 2022, revealed that a huge 57% of people now receive news through their social media accounts. Over half of the people participating in this survey, were absorbing news on their feed and classifying it as one of their daily news sources now. Although this may seem to be great, and in many ways, it is, as over half of those surveyed were engaging with news content, this figure can also have some consequences attached. Because these users can follow the news sources they so wish and engage with the sorts of opinions they agree with which algorithms will undoubtedly pick up on, they may become victim to filter bubbles. Social media can be a great source of news but if it is being relied on as a main news source, it is likely that challenging views and opinions, or content which the user does not seem so interested in will be filtered out. This type of filtered and personalised news as a main source of information is a real threat to users long-term and threatens the diversity of the news which they are consuming. 

Linked to this, is the fact that it tends to be younger people who receive their news online, while the older generations tend to stick to more traditional forms of news production such as the TV and print newspapers. According to Reuters Digital News Report in 2019, in the UK, almost 75% of people aged 18-24 used the internet (including social media) as their main source of news, compared to less than 25% of those aged 55+. Those aged over 55 were seen to use the TV as their main source of news the most. This survey is shown in a bar graph to the right here. As the age of the participants increased, it is clear that the use of the internet as a news source decreased and the use of the TV, Print and Radio increased.

An analysis of this survey would therefore suggest that it is those under the age of 45, especially those further towards the bottom of this range, who are more susceptible to filter bubbles because it is these age categories which use the internet and social media as their main news source the most. Therefore, if you are below the age of 45 especially, stay tuned through our social media platforms at @burstyourbubbleuofg and through these weekly blog posts to learn how to minimise this risk and for some more interesting facts and figures.