The Blind Side: Filter Bubbles

People tend to believe in the glorified image of the World Wide Web, but in reality it is an illusion eliciting too much control over our lives. Social media not only impacts on how we communicate, it shapes social expectations and manipulates what information users can see. These social expectations can be referred to as networked narratives, “(symbols, language or pictures) used in the transformation of space into place” (Kuttainen, 2016).

                        Filter bubbles can trap you from other diverse information. 

McNeill touches on the fact that social networks can, “shape cultural practices of selves and communities in significant ways” (2012). The main networked narrative that exists on Tumblr is shown through the use of images which is essential on the site. It is characterised by its limited use of words and the overuse of pictures. Tumblr users post pictures specific to their interests to help construct their dual online personality which could be totally different in real life. To maintain or feed this online identity, the website uses algorithms that track what content an individual engages in most.

By doing this it can create ‘filter bubbles’ that we should be more aware of, according to author and online organiser Eli Pariser in his TED Talk presentation. 

The tool of personalisation can be beneficial by cutting down time of finding relevant content, yet disadvantageous because, “We get cut off from the diverse points of view that can enrich our understanding of the world” (Catone, 2011). I experienced this filtration on my own Tumblr profile where it limited my interest in dance to just hip hop, and excluded other styles that I am interested in. This amount of control which is being powered by a computer program is very disturbing. It proves how disempowering social networks can be in creating unrealistic social expectations and handpicking what we see in an unethical and post human manner. 

References: 

Catone, J. (2011) Why Web Personalization May Be Damaging Our World View. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2011/06/03/filters-eli-pariser/#yBK88cMLjEqx [Including Image]

McNeill, L. (2012) There Is No "I" in Network: Social Networking Sites and Posthuman Auto/Biography. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/webapps/Conc-camcontent-bb_bb60/items/getitem.jsp?as_course_code=13-BA1002-TSV-INT-SP2&content_id=_1242562_1&course_id=_42849_1&doc_id=42357 

Pariser, E. (2011) Beware online "filter bubbles". Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles?language=en