Here is
this week’s “For Your Consideration” video. Like last week, it is another
excellent TED Talk, though this one deals with another topic. Whether you
realize it or not, Google (along with just about every other major internet
entity) tailors your experience of the web through the use of algorithms. I had
known this for some time, but I never realized the extent to which it was being
used by other companies such as Facebook, Yahoo, etc.
While this
might not seem like such a problem, it has undoubtedly contributed to the
radical political polarization we have seen here in the United States over the
last decade or so. This also affects us in other potentially detrimental ways
such as inhibiting the open-mindedness that one must cultivate as a
philosopher. To be able to ask important questions is contingent upon being
exposed to wide and diverse views, even those diametrically opposed to your own
personal convictions. In order to dialogue with others—especially those with
whom we disagree about our opinions—we must have the access to their
perspective, to their worldview. But if we are being limited in that exposure,
does it not stifle us and the wisdom we would potentially accrue?
How can we
work around these “filter bubbles”? How can we effectively seek out information
that broadens the horizons of our inquiry? How can we help the algorithms
better serve our needs while still allowing them to function properly and well?
Why is this crucial for progress in a representative democracy such as ours,
especially one that has been plagued with dysfunction and ideological gridlock over
the last decade?
As always,
please post your thoughts, comments, and questions below.
