2022/07/12 by Samonte, Paoloregel
#FOS: Media and communications
paper · doi:10.25598/jkm/2022-14.34
Filter bubbles and echo chambers continue to be controversial topics among scholars in the realm of digital studies. Put simply, these two terms describe a digital quandary where users preferentially choose only to engage with ‘like-minded others’, creating an information cocoon that limits people’s worldviews. Numerous media scholars contend that filter bubbles and echo chambers, collectively referred to in the literature as ‘enclave deliberation’, pose a threat to democracy by creating a self-reinforcing feedback loop that hinders the development of a well-informed citizenry. However, several other thinkers are more critical of this argument, claiming that such a sweeping statement is too simplistic, promotes technological determinism, and disregards human agency. This review paper tackles the ongoing debate surrounding the real societal impacts of enclave deliberation, particularly exploring the extent to which such a phenomenon affects democracy. To conclude, a brief typology of practical and regulatory recommendations at the micro, meso and macro levels is presented, high-lighting the role of human agency in the digital space, while equally holding powerful social media platforms accountable for their algorithmic design and its consequent impacts on society.