The
exponential expansion of the information on the web resulted in more powerful
and more sophisticated search engines. Modern search engines use intricate
algorithms to select information based on the user’s previous online behavior
to tailor search results to what the user is most likely to like or agree with.
As a result, the user is exposed to a personalized set of information, links,
sites, and pages while being under the impression that he or she is seeing an
untampered view of the World Wide Web. Though most consumers benefit
from quick finds of desirable products, some intellectuals, like Eli Pariser and Tim Berners-Lee, sounded an alarm claiming that it
would lead to information bubbles which will lock people within comfortable but
isolated, their own cultural, educational, and ideological mini-worlds. Eli
Pariser coined the term “Filter Bubble”
and spoke eloquently against limiting people’s exposure to conflicting
viewpoints and information.
Watch his presentation at http://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles.html
and post your thoughts on the issue. How can “filter bubbles” affect education
and what is the role and responsibility of educators in ensuring free access to
information?
While filter bubbles can be helpful when searching for restaurants or online shopping, the act of narrowing our search results based on our past searches can be harmful to education. When researching for a paper, students start by using Google. When using a personal computer, the search results can vary for students researching the same subject. While differing views is nice, some students may not be exposed to various points of views on the topic they are researching. This will cause students to not have a well-rounded viewpoint and their learning outcome will not be as expansive as the teacher intended. To prevent narrow search results, the teacher can assign work days in the library where filter bubbles do not exist. What was most concerning about the video was when the speaker began to explain the downside of filter bubbles, specifically what was edited. By personalizing the internet for each user, the people are unaware of what the computer is filtering out. This will cause people to remain in their current domain and be unable to branch out and experience new sites and viewpoints.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't feel that "filter bubbles" should exist. I see where the thought was that they would be helpful when searching for information on the web, but I think that it has gone a little too far. From editing what is seen when a search is conducted to putting ads up that are based on what has been searched is just ridiculous. If I wanted my results filtered, I would put the restrictions on myself. As far as education goes, I think this is a real problem. If students are only shown certain results, then they aren't given the opportunity to see possible arguments of different topics. This can really hinder the learning process as well as create a very closed minded way of thinking. I think that teachers would have to do their best to encourage students to use computers at a public library or schedule library times for the students at the school. They could also make sure that students are aware of the filtering so that they might can do some work at home on their personal computers, but then utilize a library as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree, LeAnne, that awareness of our "filter bubble" is crucial. Though I was vaguely aware that I enjoyed the company of people who shared my values and views, I never thought deeply about how I sought out information to support my views until I was introduced to the idea of "confirmation bias" (in my mid thirties!). It was nothing short of revelatory. I can only imagine what might have been had I been introduced to this concept earlier by a teacher. I'm certain I would have had much more productive political discussions :)
DeleteI've actually heard about this before. Most of the time I hear it called the echo chamber effect. In this case what was being talked about was people's tendency to only follow and listen to other people they already agreed with. In this way, people are given the false impression that everyone agrees with them because they're never exposed to as dissenting voice. If they are, it's likely from the dreaded "outsider."
ReplyDeleteThese Filter Bubbles are similar except they're created by companies and search engines. The Internet, with all of its limitless knowledge, also makes it very easy to curl up in our own personal comfort zones.
This presentation reminded me of the importance of teachers. We are responsible for teaching students what is important about the world. As powerful as the Internet is, it is still just a tool. It's up to people to use it responsibly.
(JBelina)
DeleteSuch a great comment about the role of teachers. Too often we forget that education isn't simply passing on a body of knowledge but rather teaching students how to "be" in the world. This includes strategies for critical, objective thinking that pokes a hole in one's filter bubble.
DeleteFor education, this filter bubble can be both helpful and harmful. I may not know exactly how it works, but until now I had no idea that it even existed. I think that from one aspect it can be helpful, because students who are doing projects on the same topics can will have multiple sources of information. Many of which will contain different information. As educators, we can use this to our advantage. In our classroom, students have a place to share their information and each students findings can be compared and contrasted. I think this brings a broad range of article types, opinions, and points of view to the class.
ReplyDeleteI think that it can also be negative because students are not receiving the same information through their searches. If we wanted students to have more streamlined research findings we would have to give students specific articles to look up, be very specific about the author or publisher that the students use, or have them use a scholarly journal.
It is interesting to me how little most Americans understand Google and yet utilize it constantly. Google is in the business of information brokering to make money. They make a lot of money every fiscal quarter off users. Despite their corporate image, they are not a beneficent provider who freely distributes search results to everyone. Filter bubbles and the power and wealth they can provide is huge news in Europe. The European Union has gone after Google for Antitrust violations for manipulating and filtering results of EU online merchants.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/567975/Google-Antitrust-European-Union-Commission-Lawsuit-Sue-Search
Americans should be as concerned as Europeans with the immense power that Google wields globally. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are living in thick filter bubbles. As this applies to education, it is terrifying. Google can literally bury history with a tweak of the algorithm. Their algorithm is considered an international trade secret, untouchable and not viewable. Most of the population of the world would never even know.
As a teacher, I am not sure how to promote free access to information. I could encourage use of a web search engine that doesn’t track users such as https://duckduckgo.com Simply using Google on different computers is not particularly effective. If students log into Gmail or any Google services, the corporation will have them. Even if students don’t log in, the best they can hope for is to step into the last user’s filter bubble. That is not free access to information. This is a thorny issue without an easy solution.
Before watching this video, I had no idea that Google and other sites on the internet were filtering what I saw. I knew Facebook had started to filter the news feeds based off of what it thought my interests were. When I heard this, I did not like it. I didn't like the thought of Facebook deciding what they thought I wanted to see. It does concern me to think that even Google filters out what it thinks will not interest me. The term "filter bubble" is a good description for this. It makes me think of how I grew up in a small town and now that I am in the real world I feel like I grew up in a sort of bubble. I was not exposed to a large variety of situations. I believe it is extremely important for anyone to be exposed to different situations, ideas, and surroundings.
ReplyDeleteThis same idea applies to the internet. In regards to education, it is important for students and teachers to be able to view ideas outside of what they may typically be exposed to. The internet is meant to connect us all, but if some is filtered out we are no longer truly connected. We are only partially connected. These "filter bubbles" will restrict what all people are able to learn.
Since the internet sites are the ones filtering the information, it is hard to say what we can do as teachers to ensure free access. One of the things we would be able to do is educate the students on this issue. Perhaps we can encourage them to research multiple different topics so that their "interests" would have variety. This could help in their results being less of their own "filter bubble" and could aid in them seeing new information.
I do hope to see changes in "filter bubbles" in the near future.
There are some pros and cons to the "filter bubble". I did not know my searches were being filtered based on what appeals to me. Now, I feel like I have been missing out on some information. The "filter bubble" is helpful for educators when searching for resources. If an educator frequently searches for math resources and selects resources from the same website or organization majority of the time, that educator will not have a problem finding resources pertaining to math, their favorite websites, or particular types of resources. I also agree with Brittany when she says that the bubble is helpful when searching for restaurants, hotels, and online shopping. However, the cons of this "filter bubble" includes students not being able to view other perspectives on whatever topics they have to research about. Everything that they view is agreeable and does not challenge the students to consider other views or to think outside of the box. There is unnecessary restriction that limits that connection to the world that we would like our students to have. I am not quite sure how we can guarantee free access, but informing the students about the "filter bubble" could possibly help. Maybe we can find some ways around the bubble, then relay that information to our students. The "filter bubbles" should definitely be addressed.
ReplyDeleteI do not enjoy the idea of "filter bubbles". In a search of information I prefer to not have information filtered based on what I find appealing, but rather skim through it and decide for myself. Secondly, for students or anyone yearning for knowledge should not have their search engine results personalized to what they agree with. There is no substantial growth reading the same information that one agrees with, and it shelters ourselves to what may actually be true and false.
ReplyDeleteThis video opened my eyes to internet filtering. I did not realize that my searches were filtered. I had realized that my Facebook feed was filtered, but I had never taken the time to consider that my internet searches were filtered. I do not like it because it should be up to us to decide what we read. Just because I typically look at something or have a certain view, doesn't mean I don't like to consider or read other information or views. I should be given all information and allowed to choose what I read. I think "filter bubbles" are horrible for education. You can't expect students to analyze different topics thoroughly when they are being given filtered information.
ReplyDeleteTeachers should take the time to educate their students on "filter bubbles." The students knowing that this is happening will hopefully help when they search for information. I like what Megan Gandy said about using a search engine that doesn't track users. I have only used common search engines like Google. Others that allow for unfiltered information would be beneficial to use in education.
After watching the video my eyes were opened. I honestly had no idea that our internet searches were based on what these algorithms think we want to see. I personally don't like filter bubbles. As teachers we need to make sure we present both sides of information. I have a friend who is a teacher and every year he has the project where students pick a topic, and it can be anything. They then proceed to give a speech on the topic and try and convince the class to think his or her way. Then he has them flip views and present against what just presented on. I think this is a great way to prevent filter bubbles. The students are forced to see both sides of the topic. Also teachers could encourage students to go to public libraries to conduct research. Any way a teacher can avoid filter bubbles the better! We want our students to see both sides of everything.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, what an enlightening Ted Talk. I was aware of ‘filter bubbles’ or at least knew that with every ‘search, click, and like’ that my web browser and social media sites were targeting me and catering to my interests. Through the use of ‘filter bubbles’ the internet is now becoming a virtual world keenly tailored to one’s personal interests. I think in terms of education ‘filter bubbles’ can be limiting and even detrimental to the information that our students learn, discuss, and utilize.
ReplyDeleteAs educators it is our responsibility to encourage students to acquire knowledge, investigate ideas and information, and be creative thinkers. To fight against the limited information that ‘filter bubbles’ can provide students, we should suggest that our students use non-tracking search engines. We can assign students to search topics (still related to the content area) that are out of the norm from their personal interests, for schools that utilize laptops/tablets this idea would work as a ‘bell ringer’ at the beginning of class.
I was very impressed with the information provided about "filter bubbles". I have definitely seen proof of them and appreciate them being spoken out about. I think that filter bubbles will impact education in a terrifying way. My students are already beginning to build up a bubble and they don't even know it. It means that the topics they are supposed to research and provide information about will be skewed by how they have searched up to that point. It means that when they write a paper and need to provide a viewpoint that is not their own, they will not be able to do so. I am very concerned by these facts.
ReplyDeleteIt makes it more difficult as an educator to provide legitimate information. It means that I need to begin teaching ways around their bubble and ways to find information outside of the internet. It also means that I need to prove to them the impact it has on their results. I was not aware of how strong the filters were until watching this Ted talk, so I know that my class has no idea either. This was very informative to me.
I've always felt like this was happening but I wasn't certain until now. I'd had inclinations about this occurring in my search engines, but started to realize how apparent it was with the introduction of Netflix. Once realizing how prevalent it was on Netflix, I noticed more and more of it on Facebook and Google. It was in the news recently that someone created a collaborative document listing the individual URLs for every genre included in Netflix. This made hundreds of thousands of titles available to everyone, while previously your selection was largely based on where you are located and titles you have already watched. If you haven't heard what I'm talking about you can peruse the following article.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3389257/The-secret-codes-REALLY-want-watch-Netflix.html (You may have to copy and Paste.)
These bubble filters obviously limit the amount of information available to us and our students. More unfortunately, they limit the quality and fairness of the information we receive. These are important issues that should be addressed in the classroom and "web" wide. In education, the key is encouraging students to constantly grow as researchers. If we allow students to explore with information, they end up at their own unique conclusions, having absorbed everything along the way. Education must give students the tools to be self-learners, including how to navigate around these bubble filters. Once they experience it and start noticing it in their own work, they will start thinking differently about how they search and explore information in the future.
The idea of Filter Bubbles is not one that is to appealing to me.I heard that information on social media sites are shown more and more because of the popularity of it but I did not know searches could me limited and only certain amount of information would be shown because it is what databases believe I want to see. This can be harmful when it comes to education. The great apart about knowledge is that there is always a vast amount of it. You can learn about a certain thing that leads you to another that leads you to another. Learning is a web in a since. Filter Bubbles cuts that web off. It limits the information coming in.
ReplyDeleteFilter bubbles can be very dangerous in my opinion. I think the point/heart behind the invention of the filter bubble had great intentions, but this is moving very quickly to showing us what we want to see instead of what we as a people in this beautiful nation. So now we have no say what we get to see, especially when it comes to news outlets. I think the whole heart behind this invention was to give the user what he or she wants to see. This idea has nothing wrong when you apply it to something as small as Netflix or Youtube. If you like funny cat videos, you will get suggestions for more funny cat videos, if you like Marvel superhero movies produced by Disney, then you will get suggestions on movies and TV shows that match your interests. Makes sense, and really when you view the filter bubbles though that perspective, it sounds great, but when you start to think about these filter bubbles applied to news, well then you start to get only certain people getting certain news stories and not hearing about other news stories. You can clearly see the problem here, and if we are not careful this problem will become an epidemic. This is how you start to develop a generation of closed minded individuals who can not see the others views on a story and in some cases not even be aware of another global situation because Yahoo news though their algorithms deems this global story not worthy of your interest. I do think that this algorithm is very powerful and should be used in certain situations, such as Netflix suggesting a new TV show to watch based on your interests or Yelp giving you other options to eat based off of your search history; but where this gets extremely dangerous is when you limit the flow of news based off of guessing what someone deems interesting, thus limiting what they view as options to read can cause serious long term problems.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching this video on Filter Bubbles, I had no idea that all these things happen with the internet. Things that I may be interested in posting on the internet are filtered out by these so called Algorithms because this technology does not think it belongs there in the opinion of these filters. For educational purposes I guess the filter bubble can go either way. On the positive side, it is a means to eliminate explicit material that may find it's way into the classrooms by modern technology. If you look at the negative aspects of the filter bubble involving education, things that we feel that may be important for educational aspects may be deleted or removed by the Algorithms because of the lack of the world wide web sites being monitored and edited by a human being. I am not real fond of the idea of filter bubbles because it does appear that it infringes on our right to freedom of speech in ways that restrict what we have to say by use of the internet.
ReplyDeleteI feel like filter bubbles are overall not good. When I am searching for different things I like the fact that my search engines predict what I am looking for, but overall I do not think this is good for education. I also feel like that it limits what I am looking at and what new information I can learn. When looking for information for a research paper, or anything for that matter, a teacher would like a student to not have a swayed view on the subject. I think that it is better for students to have fresh eyes when looking for information instead of search engines that are trying to predict what the searcher is looking to find.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that some of my friends are not as frequent on my social media as others. I now know why. I don't feel like social media site should limit what I can see or what I am exposed to over time.