What is an echo chamber?

If you shout in a tunnel, you will hear an echo. The same things happen in an echo chamber. You only hear what you expect to hear. But is this so dangerous?

Person står med armene strukket i været ved åpningen av en tunnel med grønne trær på utsiden.
Person står med armene strukket i været ved åpningen av en tunnel med grønne trær på utsiden.

The Internet remembers you

When you search the Internet, it’s like shouting in a tunnel. The search engine often shows you what it thinks you like. This is based on what you have searched for before. 

Pop-up ads

The Internet is also full of advertising. When you surf the web, advertisers will show up, and this is often based on your interests and what you buy online. If you have shopped online, the websites will “remember” that and try to make you buy more.

Cookies

Information cookies, or cookies, save login details and register where you are and what websites you visit. Then this information will be thrown back at you as an echo the next time you surf the web. Why do you think they are called cookies?

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Tegning av en hånd som klikker på accept cookies på en datamaskin.
Tegning av en hånd som klikker på accept cookies på en datamaskin.

Echo chamber

The same happens in social media. You can join groups where people have the same opinions as you. In groups like that, messages are often repeated again and again – just like an echo.

Then you get it confirmed that things are as you think. We call this an “echo chamber”. If you are part of an echo chamber, you will also believe that the world is like this. You get the feeling that everyone agrees with you. But that isn’t necessarily true. 

It is not ok if someone in the group thinks differently, they might also be excluded from the group.

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En person står i en boble med flere andre bobler rundt seg.
En person står i en boble med flere andre bobler rundt seg.

Be critical of what you read

Being in an echo chamber is like being exposed to propaganda, but it’s more dangerous because you don’t notice it. Propaganda is manipulation of the truth, and the goal is to get as many people as possible to believe the same.

Example of an echo chamber

Weapons in the United States can be an example. Those who believe that everyone should own a gun look for information that backs this up. Those who are against it are looking for information on why guns are dangerous. 

Both sides believe that they are right, and they point to information that supports them. It is difficult to come to an agreement.

It is always important to be critical of what you read and hear. Have you actually heard the whole truth, or have you only heard one side of it? Could it be that you are actually in an echo chamber?

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Read more about propaganda here
Det amerikanske flagget formet av ammunisjon
Det amerikanske flagget formet av ammunisjon

This is how extremism comes about

Some communities form their own values. Some of these are very extreme. It can be people who support racism or are against democracy. These are extreme echo chambers where you are steered into a certain direction. Why do you think people end up in such an environment?

 

Tredukke står på kanten av et bord og trykker en annen tredukke ned fra kanten.
Tredukke står på kanten av et bord og trykker en annen tredukke ned fra kanten.

Sources:

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