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 9 minute presentation at http://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles.html and publish your thoughts on the issue on the "Filter Bubble." How can “filter bubbles” affect education and what is the role and responsibility of educators in ensuring free access to information?
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I really enjoyed watching the video. This is the first I have ever heard of filter bubbles. When you stop and think about it, it makes me kind of upset that the internet thinks it knows what I want to see. When I do a search on Google, I expect to see all kinds of information on my topic. What I am seeing, is in fact only relevant information.
ReplyDeleteI can see this having a very big impact on education. If students only use their computers for gaming or social networking, how are we to know that the search engines will give them usable information? One way educators could try and help this situation is to allow students adequate time to search the internet on school computers. Since these computers are used mainly for research purposes, the search results should be relevant to research.
Another way educators can help with this filter bubble situation is to require students to look up information on multiple computers. If a student uses a personal computer, school computer, library computer, and parent's computer they are sure to get different results on each topic they search. It is very sad that we are not allowed to access information freely and to the fullest extent. I'm not sure there is much we can do about it without bigger companies, such as Google, taking a stand.
The video was very eye-opening. I have often wondered why I received different search results at home compared to school. I am very alarmed at the thought of how much information is gathered by these filtering systems and the way it is being used. The idea that so much information is kept from me without my consent is very upsetting. How can a computer know which information I want and what I want to exclude?
ReplyDeleteAs an educator it is my job to ensure that students are aware that what they see is not all that is out there. I will need to teach them to continue to dig deeper than their basic search. Educators also need to be active in encouraging those with the power to make the needed changes in the algorithms to produce a "healthy" information diet.
This was a great video. I completely agree that people need to see other view points beyond their own. The filter bubble allows people to continue being "sheep" for lack of a better word. It makes them not think critically about new ideas or issues, but simply follow whatever it is that they see or read on the internet. This happens because they are never exposed to anything different.
ReplyDeleteAs educators, we should be teaching our students about how to analyze information critically and how to think rationally about new or different ideas. This will be a very hard task though because our information will be skewed towards our ideas and ways of thinking. Pushing our students to think outside the box will not only help them in their life, but help our society grow too.
Filter bubbles seem like a great thing in some areas, but it is also scary too. To think that our internet is skewed to how we individual feel means that our society no longer thinks on its own, but rather thinks how others (or an algorithm in this case) think we should. Personally, I want a society of individuals rather than a society of “sheep”.
I was enlightened watching the video of Eli and his points of view. I have genuinely never taken the time to stop and think about what the reality of the internet is becoming for us. Towards the end when Eli mentioned how we can compare our responsibility as a society to that of those in 1915 with the newspaper, it clicked. It is extremely important that we keep a sense of community through the world wide web. Although many people appreciate the tailoring of results to themselves specifically, it is crucial to provide relevant news and updates as well. “Filter bubbles” can affect education by just that. When a students uses their home computer to research for a paper, for example, their results will depend on their location, past searchers by others in their household and so on. There is a role and responsibility of educators in ensuring free access to information by clarifying the specifics for the students. As Eli mentioned, a simple Google search between two people can result in two completely different pages. I agree with him that it is essential to keep a common ground for all.
ReplyDeleteEli Pariser lead a very thought provoking commentary. As a society, we have access to an infinite amount of information, yet, we are isolated by our own "filter bubbles." The "personalization" of our consumption of information (e.g., search engines), social media interests (e.g., facebook), news, movie selections, and the like, actually, leaves us with access to a limited amount of information or information "junk food." Pariser, used the term "algorithmic gatekeepers" to describe how the filtering of information prevents us from viewing all information, therefore, limiting our exposure to new ideas.
ReplyDeleteAs students are educated and searching for new ideas, and their identities, their consumption of information is being limited by these "filters." At the end of his commentary, Pariser mentioned encoding civic responsibility into algorithms, thus, giving us a choice in what information we view. Educators should be responsible, also, in ensuring students are exposed to more than "junk food" information.
According to the Filter Bubble video, a filter bubble is information displayed online based upon personal selections. Prior to this video, I have used Netflix and Yahoo News. I entered information about my interests. Both filtered the content and displayed suggestions or topics that I would find interesting. After seeing this video, I was disturbed at finding out that in a world full of knowledge that my gaining information was being limited by these types of online companies.
ReplyDeleteAs an educator, students need to be educated about the benefits of using technology as well as its limitations. It is always a good idea to have a backup plan. I would have students use multiple sources to gain information for projects. They could get books, newspaper articles, and use multiple search engines on the computer
RSweeney
As I was watching the video, I began to realize that I've been somewhat aware of "filter bubbles" without really knowing. From the suggested pages on Facebook to the "movies Kellie would like" section on Netflix. However, these bubbles are minor in comparison to filtering information search engines. I agree that this is most disturbing. In today's world, we are to believe that the world's knowledge is at our fingertips, but in actuality, only a fraction of it is and that fraction depends on ways we typically use our computers. I have always thought of the internet as a tool used to broaden our opinions and thoughts, but "filter bubbles" severely disable us in that aspect.
ReplyDeleteAs an educator, I believe that it is our responsibility to teach our students to not just click on the first link found in a search, but to examine the descriptions of the links before deciding which to use. Students should be taught how to narrow their search terms as well. Teaching our students to not only use one search engine or one source for information will help expand their educational platforms.
As I was watching the video, I noticed how different I thought everything was. For example, when his two friends Googled the same subject they got two different links. How is that possible? I also read on Facebook how many of my friends things were deleted and they did not even know about it. How is that possible? I am sure I have things on my profile on Facebook that have been deleted without me knowing it. The internet is a great resource, I really do enjoy it, but there are always flaws that go with the good and the bad. I always wondered how Facebook “suggested” movies, pages, friends, and much more that I might like. Teachers can use the internet to broaden their student’s minds with what is happening in the world that we are all living in. The “filtered bubbles” can be hurtful to everyone because we are not getting the information we need for our research. As an educator, I want to help my students gain an understanding that we must keep digging for information rather than clicking on the first link that is provided by Google. I am one of those that click on the first link but when it is not what I am searching for I continue to dig and eventually (on page 20 or so) I find exactly what I need. “Filter bubbles,” in my opinion, is the computer thinking what I need to look for. The only way students are going to learn to properly search for things on the internet is for educators to show them. We must take time to model this with our students.
ReplyDeleteAs I watched the video again to help me gain a better understanding of the problems with filter bubbles, I realized that the information that I obtained seemed to be one sided. It made me realize further that I do not have any control to choose what information I am getting access to on the websites. I started thinking about what information my students would receive using various search engines. This information may not be current or accurate. I was unaware that this information seemed to be directly impacting our values, ideas, and opinions. As an educator, it is important to teach them how media influences our decisions. Students should know that it is important to make informed decisions using valid information. Each decision that they make can affect someone else.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of filter bubbles though I should have been aware of this before. I have always noticed that when abroad and I google search a topic my results were completely different than what would have popped up if I were back at home. It is quite sad to know that even though we have access to countless information we are only given information catered to us. However, we do this to ourselves to a degree as well. Like the speaker said, we constantly battle the 'I want it now information' self and the 'challenging information' self. How I have handled this in the past in an education setting is to ask my students to use google.de (the German site) in order to find sites in German. Also we need to teach our students HOW to search for information. If they type in a generic 'Egypt' in the toolbar they may never know what exactly is happening. Using the internet is a skill that we must teach our students if we expect them to do a research project or make a presentation. Very interesting lecture and great food for thought! It's always nice to be reminded that we may not be as well versed in world current events as we would hope we are.
ReplyDeleteWatching the video on filter bubbles made me realize that the information I am getting when I do a Google search is "tailored" to what the algorithms think that I want to see based on my internet activity. I have to say that I was shocked by this. It makes me feel as though our students are getting one sided information when they Google topics for research. I like that the video pointed out that the information we see needs to be important yet challenging. Our students need to see everything even if the information is uncomfortable. Our students and us as educators need all of the facts and with the "filter bubbles" we aren't getting them. I think that a good idea for a class project would be like the Egypt project in the video. I would like to have the students Google a specific topic to see what the different results are that each student gets especially while they are sitting right beside each other.
ReplyDeleteLHicks
Very interesting video. It's amazing to me that he said if a friend and I searched for the same thing, we may get different results. It is a little scary that "google" has this much control over my computer. I never knew the internet was personalized. Another scary thought is the internet shows us what it wants us to see, not what we need to see. I agree with him, it is a problem. I don't get to decide "what gets in or what gets edited out". The web is an important resource to us. We need some control. We should be given all of the information and should be allowed to sort it ourselves. We are not a web of one. Now, I'm curious. I am going to search something at home, and at school and see if I get different results. What an eye-opener!
ReplyDeleteJFeltman
This video was very eye opening, and I learned a lot from watching it. I was aware that Facebook was using an individuals likes, interests, and career to filter advertisements, but I was unaware that Google and other search engines had filters and similar algorithms. This is becoming a huge problem and it is also evident in the daily new and media. We are being shown what we want to see and not necessarily what we need to see. This will affect education because it changes the way students see things and what they are exposed to. Students need to see challenging and important information even if they do not agree with it. If they are only being shown what they want to see, then they will not be open to other opinions. It is the role of educators to make sure that students are exposed to challenging information. As an educator, I could have students work in groups but complete their internet research on their own. Then they could meet as a group to see the various results they received enabling each group member to be exposed to the information they did not get through their search.
ReplyDeleteLBowling
This video is very informative. It makes so much sense, but it's scary to think that a computer can think for us. Filters are unique to the user, but it's an uneasy feeling knowing that what we want to know can be hidden from us. I think we have to be careful and informed of these issues with search engines. We need to teach the importance of gathering research from many sources, not just relying on one. I think we could relate this to the news, magazine articles, and other public stories. Students could compare articles or stories to see how information is altered.
ReplyDeleteI knew about the filter bubble before I knew there was a name. Society has become so used to things being done for us. Perfect example is my sweet little Siri. Just like Siri, our search engines are being tailored for our laziness. Pretty soon, our students won't know how to gather their own information. Whatever they type in has been searched before. Technology is an amazing tool, but this is an example of how it is a tad bit sketchy. I want my students to learn their information the old-fashioned way, I suppose. It is important that children know they do not need to rely on technology. Educators need to instill confidence within their students in order for them to research at the best of their abilities.
ReplyDeletePrior to this video, I had never heard the term "filter bubble." I was aware that what we see on the internet when making searches is skewed to our past searches and internet activity. But I guess I wasn't aware to what extent this was happening and had never given any thought as to how this affects students. It's a shame that I would not get the same search results as someone else. My son and I share a computer at the moment and I'm sure my search results are mostly geared toward what a 17 year old male searches. I feel this puts me at a huge disadvantage. As a teacher, I feel that it is important that we let our students know about the filter bubble and encourage them to make searches from different computers when possible. We should also give them more access to school computers for projects. Hopefully this will give them a better variety of information.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting video. I have noticed that the computer marks certain pages as your favorite if you visit them often. Many times just because I visit a page frequently does not mean it is a favorite. I like to explore the internet being aware of all options. The filter bubble serves as a censor to your exploration of the web. I think the presence of the filter bubble limits what a person can learn from the web. I like to explore looking at the good sites and the bad. I think it should be left up to us how we limit our use of the web.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of filtering, and I suppose, in some vague intellectual sense, I can even somewhat sympathize with what he's saying. However, what he is asking to do is quite impossible, for several reasons. One, the myriad of different viewpoints on any given topic can hardly be balanced out on a Google page that has only 15 entries per page. diving things up into a false dichotomy of "liberal" and "conservative" feeds into the very bubble he assails against. What liberals would pop up that speak for a "liberal" viewpoint? What conservatives would pop up that speak for a "conservative" viewpoint? What about a green viewpoint? A socialist viewpoint? An anarcho-capitalist viewpoint? A anarcho-socialist viewpoint? Whose viewpoint makes it onto that oh-so important first page? Secondly, how could he determine quality information sites from site of lesser quality? Which sites come up first, opinion or news sites? Can a program even tell the difference? Thirdly, (and this speaks to a hint of arrogance in his speech) how can a program determine which worldwide tragedies are most important to read about? Which is more important to me, gang violence in Chicago, or civil war in the Sudan? Protesters being arrested in Russia, or a rash of burglaries in my own neighborhood? With the limited space of a computer screen, someone or some program will have to make those determinations. Lastly, how connected am I really to the world through the internet? If I do read about Putin arresting protestors, what am I to day about it? Shake my head and say, "That's a shame!" before reading about whether Mobile should raise sales taxes by a penny? Am I REALLY connected to events beyond my control simply because I read about them? And am I really getting an intellectually honest picture of events in these faraway places written by reading an article written on a sixth grade level by someone who may or may not have gotten the facts correct by the deadline anyway? While I get that its indeed important to stay informed, I think the problems he is talking about may be a tad overrated and impossible to get around.
ReplyDeleteFor the most part I do not see a major issue with the "Filter Bubble" in our lives or its effect on education. I believe the different signals, such as location or previous searches, used in filtering our searches makes the internet more effective. For example, if we are looking for directions to a certain place, Google is able to use our location to make our search more useful for our situation. We do not want directions to a location with the same name that happens to be across the country because that is no use for us.
ReplyDeleteAs for education, this form of filtering does not affect someone who is skilled in using search engines on the internet. As educators I believe it is important to teach students how use search engines, such as Google, effectively. The more specific your search is determines the results it renders, and it is important to teach students how to get better results by using more specific searches. Along with specific search we need to teach our students how to determine the validity of information provided. Since the "filter bubble" gives us some junk results at times, students need to be trained to be able to filter through this junk themselves. This can be done by first checking the domain name of the website, and if the domain is "edu" then it is for educational use and is going to be more reliable than other websites. This knowledge allows students to know the reliable sources to use for research or for whatever information needed to help with assignments.
I guess I have been under a rock. I have never heard of the "filter bubble" before watching this video. I had no clue that our search results were being filtered from our previous searches. I can see how this can be a little helpful if you are searching for personal information. However, when it comes to researching an important topic for school I can see how this can be a problem. The search engines are putting a limit on our search results. This is a great reason why going to use a library computer my by more helpful when researching for an essay. In the end we still have our basic resources to help; us find reliable results .
ReplyDelete