Secret Asian Man: Filter bubbles

I will not violate copyright rules, but I want to comment on this comic and blog entry.  So please read it and come back.

Secret Asian Man: Filter bubbles

SAM has this one so right!

We all, every single one of us, have unique filters we use to view this world. This is not a political statement. It's not even a critical statement. It's human psychology.  It's part of how we deal with living.

But in the past decade, technology has allowed us to create even more overt filters.  I remember hearing about the personalized, automated portal technology -- Yahoo was trumpeting it a long time ago ("long time" in technology terms) -- and I was glad to know I would be more likely to get news about games I might like (for example) but I was also worried I might not see news & views which would challenge me to reconsider my positions.

But, like anyone, I enjoy reading things which support my opinions, so if I "like" something on Facebook (for example) I am sure to see more of similarly-minded news/views.  And, because I tend to "like" things which are more on the "liberal" or "left" side of politics, I am now being sent e-mails and shown articles & opinions on other "left" topics.   As it happens, there are quite a few of these I don't agree with.  But now I have to take overt action if I do not want to see them.

Technology is not the single direct cause of the increase in polarized opinions. 

But it's an enabler!


[Thanks, Tak Toyoshima, creator of Secret Asian Man.]