The importance of what you don't see - Why what Google and Facebook are hiding from you is important

Oddly enough while people are quick to criticise news networks, such as Fox in the US or even the Herald locally, our new information source, the internet, is not yet subjected to the same critical eye. Yet in this age of increasing personalisation Facebook, Google, and other providers using similar algorithms to determine the relevance of information are acting as the new censors. Ironically though this censorship does not (yet) serve to expose you to the views of the censor, instead it seeks to expose you to your own views. In so doing it will reinforce your existing beliefs at the expense of providing opposing viewpoints.

This is especially dangerous given the way that we work psychologically. If we hold a particular viewpoint we are likely to hold onto it even in the face of conflicting evidence. In fact we will use any supporting evidence at our disposal, no matter how weak, to counter any perceived need to adjust our viewpoint. Furthermore instance of information that are in line with our viewpoint are more likely to be remembered than those that do not. This all culminates in an idea known as confirmation bias - essentially our tendency to continue to believe things that we already believe.

When our innate confirmation bias is combined with an external confirmation bias the danger is that false/incorrect beliefs may be held even more deeply. Afterall instead of information in line with our thoughts being the exception to the rule the additional filter will now ensure that our belief is the rule.

In the video above the presenter rightly points to the importance of being exposed to information outside or personal bubble and suggests that those from Facebook and Google should listen. Arguably they may feel that the focus on social networking should achieve some of this already as we are being exposed to the filters of others. However in order for this to hold the exposure to these filters needs to be immune from the relevance shaping that we have seen occuring, so far it is not.