News Flash: Not Everybody Agrees With You!

As you go through a typical day of social media scrolling and conversing with the people around you about worldly ongoings, you may find yourself feeling oddly agreeable. 

Through classes, work, clubs, hobbies, or friends, as humans, we instinctively make choices that lead us to associate ourselves with like-minded people. These people typically share similar morals, ideologies, principles, and perspectives.

However, if you find yourself living in a reality where your opinions are rarely contradicted and constantly validated by others, it may not necessarily be a good thing. 

Many factors today contribute to a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly more prominent and problematic: the echo chamber. 

Essentially, echo chambers are rumor mills. Rumors—which we’ll define as unverified or speculative information—are created, spread, and often distorted as they circulate among people.

Suppose you hear the same idea or claim repeatedly with little to no opposition. Regardless of its validity, it will eventually become your version of the truth.

While echo chambers have always been around, they’re becoming increasingly amplified due to a blend of technological advances, media fragmentation, and shifting social dynamics. 

Social media algorithms, which were created to induce maximum user engagement, are mind-bogglingly personalized. They prioritize content similar to what users have a pattern of interacting with, supporting their existing beliefs and creating a loop of self-reinforcement. 

People often mistakenly support misinformation within their social media bubbles by reposting, liking, commenting, and even talking about it in real life without fact-checking or searching for alternative viewpoints.

In the past, people generally consumed news from a few major sources. In today’s world, the media landscape has become remarkably splintered. People hate to be wrong, and seeing news outlets reporting on things that make their ideas feel incorrect can be frustrating. 

We, as people, desire validation. With such a huge increase in media outlets, individuals can seek information from niche sources that align with their views. This allows them to completely avoid opposing perspectives altogether, which provides satisfaction in reducing cognitive dissonance, the psychological discomfort a person feels when holding conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. 

Especially in our current political landscape, the division between ideologies makes people more likely to isolate themselves within communities that share the same views. Polarized debates on social issues, politics, and culture further this separation, making open discourse more difficult. 

As echo chambers gain a stronger grip on those within them, people in one society can come to live in completely different realities.

In both worlds, individuals hear claims and commentary about facts, and these ideas are repeated to them constantly. Eventually, those inside these communities view these assertions as real. Yet, when you step back and look at what’s happening in both realities, the claims are entirely different. 

The effects of echo chambers, especially today, can be detrimental. Living in different realities rather than one uniform realm leads to negative reinforcement of beliefs, further polarization, more widespread misinformation, and reduced critical thinking. 

These consequences will only worsen if continued for an extended period. Not to go all doomsday, but it has the very real potential of ultimately leading to the demise of society as we know it today. 

That being said, while it may not be easy, echo chambers are not unbreakable. To escape this muddled version of life, it takes a strong conscious effort that will feel uncomfortable. 

You must diversify the sources from which you get information. Follow news outlets, commentators, and public figures with varying perspectives. When a newsworthy event occurs, compare how it’s covered by multiple sources. 

Recognize that by simply being human, you have the tendency to seek information that confirms your own beliefs, and challenge that. Consume content that differs from your views, and make yourself try to understand why others think differently. Although it’s scary, question yourself. What if you’re wrong? 

Engage in discussions with people who have different opinions than you respectfully and cordially. Rather than focusing on your rebuttal, focus on what they have to say. Leave your mind open to the idea that they could be right. Instead of entering a conversation with the intent to argue, enter it seeking to understand. 

Adjust the way that you interact online. As difficult as it may be, follow people with different views, even if you don’t necessarily agree with them. Make an effort to interact with diverse content and train algorithms to show you a broader range of content. 

Fact-check information by conducting your own research using unbiased websites like Snopes and FactCheck.org, and seek original sources rather than immediately believing second-hand interpretations. 

Listen to full-length interviews, read books and in-depth articles, or watch debates in their entirety instead of relying solely on short social media posts, headlines, soundbites, and viral clips and videos. 

Talk to people outside of your inner circle. Travel, attend events, and participate in activities that expose you to different perspectives. 

Most importantly, be comfortable with the idea that not everything has a clear answer. The world isn’t as black and white as it may seem, and in many instances, more than one side can be right— or wrong— at the same time. 

Strike Out,

Morgan Harms

Boca Raton

Morgan Harms is the Senior Editor for Strike Magazine Boca. She’s a student journalist and creative writer who enjoys taking an artistic approach to her pieces. Her work ranges widely, from the hottest news stories to college relationship drama and even some sappy poetry. You can reach her by email at morganjharms@gmail.com or on Instagram @morganjharms and @morganjharmswrites.