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Don't forget the filter bubble. This is probably one of the most harmful aspects of modern media consumption.
by Skunkleton 7y ago
Don't forget the filter bubble. This is probably one of the most harmful aspects of modern media consumption.
- fullshark 7y agoThe bell has been rung. If FB shut down tomorrow another filter bubble would take its place. It’s what news consumers, in particular politics junkies, want.
- groby_b 7y agoBut... they don't. It is, however, what advertisers want. Because "enragement", "stickiness", etc. It is merely what consumers fall for.
- pwinnski 7y agoI suspect you meant "engagement," but "enragement" does seem accurate!
- Qwertystop 7y agoBoth! Angry people get engaged so that they can tell you they're mad.
- SmellyGeekBoy 7y agoAll online communities create their own filter bubbles. You think HN isn't a bubble? Not that I'm saying it's right, but that's the way it is.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- JumpCrisscross 7y ago> If FB shut down tomorrow another filter bubble would take its place If nothing more is done than shut them down then yes, the market's incentives wouldn't change. If those incentives are changed, however, lasting effects can be produced. If Facebook were pursued under antitrust laws, as some are suggesting [1], it would set an precedent. Similarly, laws like GDPR (one among many options) could change the incentives around hoarding data and using it to target users with exploitative ads. There are solutions. But they require debate. That requires Facebook's senior leadership show up to summons. [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/opinion/privacy-antitrust-facebook.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/opinion/privacy-antitrust...
- rchaud 7y agoFB's network effects took years to develop as did its targeted ad-based business model, which the root of these misinformation issues. Yes, another filter bubble might replace it, but certainly not overnight. Society and policymakers would then have some breathing room to decide how best these tools should be regulated, so the impact of misinformation campaigns can be minimized.
- usefulcat 7y agoIt sounds like you may be assuming that targeted advertising is the (or the main) reason filter bubbles exist. I claim that there's a more fundamental reason, namely the fact that most people don't like hearing facts or opinions that contradict their worldview. To be sure, targeted advertising definitely supports filter bubbles, but I contend that even without any targeted advertising, if you give people a choice about what information they consume and a sufficient variety of sources from which to choose, they will end up effectively creating their own filter bubbles.
- thekyle 7y agoYes, I agree. Even if social media had never taken off and everyone got their news via RSS, I believe filter bubbles would still exist.
- Skunkleton 7y agoDon't give up. There are lots of things that we do as a society for the greater good. We need to stay out of filter bubbles for the greater good.
- tschellenbach 7y agoNothing modern about it. Your friends, the village tavern you go to, printed media, traditional media. Filter bubbles have always existed. Facebook is not the first nor the worst.
- Skunkleton 7y agoThere is nothing modern about seeking non-dissenting opinions. What is modern is how easy and automatic it is. If you aren't convinced, a simple google search will bring up plenty of research papers on the topic.