One can find forums or areas of social media which are vehement in their view that DC Comics’ output is superior to Marvel’s. Or where it’s vigorously asserted that Novak Djokovic is better at tennis than Roger Federer. The subject matter is largely irrelevant – the point is that dissent and discussion aren’t encouraged; unwavering, partisan agreement is the order of the day.
Unashamedly biased reporting is hardly exclusive to the internet: most national daily newspapers, for instance, don’t exactly hide their political persuasion. The mainstream media, however, is bound by law to only publish stories which it can evidence as true – it can’t knowingly report falsehoods as though they were fact. Sadly, the same regulations are harder to enforce online.
This means that echo chambers are often hotbeds of fake news, fictions and slander … and where young people find themselves in particular danger of being won over by outlandish conspiracy theories or damaging concepts like climate change denial. This #WakeUpWednesday, we’ve got the lowdown on how to avoid (or minimise) the pitfalls of online echo chambers.
