My Filter Bubble

"Filter bubbles result from personalized searches when a website algorithm selectively guesses what information a user would like to see based on information about the user (such as location, past click-behavior and search history) and, as a result, users become separated from information that disagrees with their viewpoints, effectively isolating them in their own cultural or ideological bubbles" according to Wikipedia.com. 

My social media feeds are generally filled with fashion, fitness, and animals. Ever since our class has been studying the term 'filter bubble,' I have become increasingly aware of the light-heartedness of my feeds. My filter bubble allows me to see ads about workout supplements, discounted clothes, and funny videos because those are the posts I tend to show interest in and click on. 

As a 20 year old girl, the algorithms of my social media have noticed I tend to scroll past political posts. Don't get me wrong, I will occasionally click on a political link that catches my eye, but I tend to avoid posts associated with political views simply because of the drama that can result from it. Due to my lack of 'clicks' on political posts, I tend to see very little social media posts involving political opinions or news. 
I have always been a supporter of people having the freedom to express their beliefs, ideas, and passions so I have never un-friended or un-followed somebody based upon their personal opinions. 

While very few political posts pop up on my timeline, the ones that make the cut are usually Republican party posts. I have mixed views on many topics and I don't consider myself to be a Republican or a Democrat, in fact I probably side with the Democratic Party views more. After studying filter bubbles, I learned the Facebook algorithm probably uses my location and the views of the people close to me to filter the political posts it shows me. In a small Nebraska town, with a large majority of my family being small business owners, their views tend to be Republican. So, the algorithm estimates this would be my view as well. 

There are so many factors that play a part in computing your filter bubble. The filter bubble helps provide you with estimated content that you will enjoy. While it is convenient to not have to search very hard for things you enjoy, the filter bubble also secludes you from certain posts the algorithm thinks you might not like, putting you in your own little bubble. 

Sources:

http://ucm.teleshuttle.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filter_bubble