As Sandvig wrote: “Over time, if people are offered things that are not aligned with their interests often enough, they can be taught what to want…. They may come to wrongly believe that these are their authentic interests, and it may be difficult to see the world any other way.” The Internet has been increasingly enclosed into a series of bubbles, self-reinforcing spaces in which it becomes harder to find a diverse range of perspectives. This idea is familiar from politics—liberals mainly consume digital content that reflects their beliefs, as do conservatives—but it applies to culture asAs Sandvig wrote: “Over time, if people are offered things that are not aligned with their interests often enough, they can be taught what to want…. They may come to wrongly believe that these are their authentic interests, and it may be difficult to see the world any other way.” The Internet has been increasingly enclosed into a series of bubbles, self-reinforcing spaces in which it becomes harder to find a diverse range of perspectives. This idea is familiar from politics—liberals mainly consume digital content that reflects their beliefs, as do conservatives—but it applies to culture as well. In the matter of personal taste, knowing what you like is difficult, but it’s equally hard to know when you don’t like or don’t want something when it’s being so strenuously presented as “For You.” In Filterworld, it becomes increasingly difficult to trust yourself or know who “you” are in the perceptions of algorithmic recommendations....more
