Thursday, November 19, 2020

EOTO - It Gets Loud in the Echo Chamber



The Echo Chamber is a concept that explains the phenomenon where people only pay attention to media, facts, or explanations that already fit their current world view or opinions. This can mean in regards to many things, but usually refers to politics. 

One of the most common and modern examples of this metaphor is the idea that vaccines can cause Autism. This entire movement originated from a single discredited study, but many people who read it latched onto this belief and refuse to change their stance on the subject no matter how many alternate explanations or pieces or evidence they are offered. Anything they are shown that contradicts their current outlook is rejected as false, while anything that supports their beliefs is embraced. This information might be disproven or blatantly false, but it will still be defended and wholly embraced. 

We, as people, want to believe that we can change our opinions based on evidence, that we can be rational and objective about the things we believe, but the Echo Chamber is a very common phenomena, and sometimes it can be hard to tell when you've trapped yourself in one.

Sources: https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/digital-media-literacy/what-is-an-echo-chamber/1/

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