Echo Chambers: Virtual Prisons

By Katherine Lim of 11-Wisdom

Graphic by Erin Chua

SOCIAL MEDIA is often a place of escapism for many, where people choose to read and consume content that brings them happiness. Due to algorithms and filtering systems of most platforms, people’s feeds are carefully crafted to cater to what they like. However, these scenarios where one sees only what he wants to see are called “echo chambers,” online spaces where one only interacts with people who share the same beliefs and perspectives. In these spaces, one creates a safe bubble for himself to feel correct and validated at all times, and he tends to ignore opposing opinions no matter how reasonable they may be. Needless to say, echo chambers are a danger to society’s progress, particularly to misinformed Filipinos.

Usually, echo chambers are found when a topic of discussion is controversial. While people from all around the world experience these, Filipinos in particular exhibit actions that result from being in echo chambers for too long. Most notably would be many Filipinos’ toxic behavior online. For instance, other countries have expressed anger at Filipinos for being overly aggressive and insulting when playing online games. Furthermore, many Filipinos also often display insensitivity and a lack of self-awareness in social media posts and comments. This was seen in the #CancelKorea movement on Twitter—while it had Filipinos standing up for the country and pointing out discriminatory actions towards our countrymen, the tweets also exhibited a lack of awareness of how Filipinos are often discriminatory too. These behaviors ultimately stem from being in echo chambers where they are accustomed to being surrounded by like-minded people. Around like-minded people, people rarely need to watch their words as they would be understood without much explanation. Accountability is absent, so they do not become aware when they are wrong. Interacting with people with different perspectives and opinions and still speaking in the same way that they do inside echo chambers can cause unproductive discourse. In the previous examples of Filipinos displaying toxic behavior online, the response to being held criticized was most often defensiveness or aggression. This only shows that many would rather attack anyone who expresses criticism than reflect on their own thinking.

Echo chambers become dangerous when present in political discussions. They are breeding grounds for fake news, rumors, and in the Philippines’ case, blind allegiance. Echo chambers feed the existence of DDS (Die-hard Duterte Supporters). Since they only see their personal social media feeds, surrounded by propaganda and people who possess the same opinions, they automatically attack when they believe they are right. They refuse to trust factually correct and proven sources if they do not align with their beliefs. This problem is not just limited to one side of the political aisle, as in the COVID-19 pandemic, much fake news and rumors have appeared, such as the belief that all Chinese people have the virus, or that drinking bleach would kill the virus. Common sense would say that these are false because of the scientific research disproving the rumors; however, someone in an echo chamber would immediately reject science as they do not want to relinquish their beliefs. They would want to feel validated, so they would distrust any statements that oppose them. These behaviors now become deadly, amplifying discrimination and giving power to dangerous individuals because echo chambers have convinced them that they are always right. Essentially, echo chambers create a domino effect that could lead to innocent lives being lost through ignorance and injustice.

As digital natives, everyone is in danger of unknowingly caging himself in echo chambers. However, this action can be prevented through consistent and constant self-awareness. First, one must recognize when he is in an echo chamber by assessing the perspectives and sides of the posts he sees. If they all state the same or similar views, one is most likely in an echo chamber. To get out of it, one must learn to read and understand the beliefs of others by following new people and reading news from different sources, and discussing with others outside these bubbles to gain more insights. Echo chambers are incredibly easy to fall into, but it is not impossible to get out of them. By decreasing the existence of echo chambers in the Philippines, the country would become more open to differing opinions, more critical towards powerful politicians, and more progressive in the long run.