What is the Echo-Chamber effect?

Social media places you in the same chamber as in the picture. It is called “echo-chamber effect”. It is this chamber which makes you believe you are right about things. How’s that?

Different factors play their part. Facebook has these ever growing algorithms that are becoming more and more intelligent with time. They are unique for different people. Your watching habits, interactions on posts and your watch-time on Facebook, feeds these algorithms with information needed to let them guess what video should be displayed to you next.

Algorithms let you watch only the content that matches your interest and that can guarantee more screen time. This ensures more usage of facebook on the user’s part and hence, Facebook gets more time to offer to advertisers( to make profit).
Facebook might have been unaware of the consequences of its algorithms back when it’s company did not have any roots into the fabric of society (as they have now) but today they know very well.

Political Polarisation

One of the most concerning consequence of the echo chamber effect is its acute “political polarisation” of the masses. People have become politically polarised, so much so that they see no grey area between and the opponent’s political stance. They are bitterly opposed to each other’s ideas and see no room for some sort of a settlement or agreement. So much intolerant have they become, that they don’t discuss politics when sitting in a gathering because their conflicting notions may result in arguments(we see it quite often in Pakistan).

All this is because they are fed so much content ( that resonates with their viewpoint) by the algorithms, that they begins to think, that, what they see, is a predominant worldview. They are polarised to the point that no amount of debates or reasoning would convince them they are wrong. Debating with such a person is akin to fighting his echo chambers/ algorithms. When you debate with such a person, it is as though you are up against the propaganda machine behind him. Debating won’t do the trick, after all, all he has to do is to go back to his echo chamber, spend a day, and, we are back to square one.

How has this phenomenon affected the US?

Recent change in political dynamics of the US would make a perfect study of political polarisation. World did never anticipate that differences stemming from presidential elections would culminate in separatist movements( as in case of 2014 elections when Pro Hillary voters in Washington demanded a separate state to be governed by Hillary). Or in 2020 elections when the polls incited a group of pro Trump supporters to forcefully enter the Capitol, which is unprecedented.

These above events is a result of political polarisation of people. Events like these have never occurred in the history of US. They are happening now. Social media, its algorithms, echo Chambers are to blame.

Situation in Pakistan is even worse partly because we have disinformation involved and because our people take social media to be their primary source of information and knowledge. This combination is deadly. Our people are way more polarised than in any other country. On social media, the line between information and disinformation has blurred. Bear in mind: Social media is the new Joseph Goebbels.