Media Law Blog Ten

   For the second round of Each One Teach One I tackled the terrifying topic of Echo Chambers. An Echo Chamber is; 'a situation in which people only hear opinions of one type, or opinions that are similar to their own,' as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary. I call this terrifying because people can lodge themselves in their own echo chambers, hearing the same information or one-sided information constantly, until they believe it is the truth, the only reality. In our current politically charged environment, it is incredibly easy to get stuck on one side and ignore the other. The age of information should have made it harder for people to get trapped in echo chambers, but there is so much disinformation out there that people are easily tricked into believing one reality.
    For example, the Anti-Vax movement started around a single study by Andrew Wakefield, a doctor who has since been excommunicated, and admitted that this study was false. In this study, he formed unsubstantiated links between getting vaccinated as a child and developing autism. This has lead a number of people to believe that vaccinations aren't needed, and because of this, a number of formally extent diseases have now resurfaced, diseases like mumps and measles. These are treatable diseases, but a fraction of the population can't get vaccinated due to their health. These are the people are kept safe because of herd immunity but by not getting vaccinated, the Anti-Vax movement risks the lives of these vulnerable citizens. All of this circles back to the fact that the Anti-Vax movement is a massive echo chamber, anyone inside the organization who breathes a pro-drug idea is shunned. This means there is no way for ideas to pierce that dome, once someones trapped under it they're unlikely to come back out.

    Echo chambers are terrifying like that. There is no physical barrier or way to ward them off. Everyone eventually winds up in an echo chamber one way or another. It doesn't matter what side of the political spectrum, gender, and sexuality, everyone can get trapped in their own bubble with zero external input. The trick to them is doing what you can to make sure you don't find yourself in one. There are a number of ways to keep from getting trapped in your own echo chamber. First and most importantly, accept information from the other side, watch their news, hear their point of view and try to understand it. You don't have to like it, just know where they're coming from. Second, verify your information. Does the scientific journal have sources? Has it been peer reviewed? Don't accept information at face value. Third, where are you getting this information from? Social media sites like facebook or twitter simply are not a safe way to gather news given the misinformation on the platforms. Don't just accept word of mouth either. Always see if you can find a credible source that's reporting on the same information. Do all that you can to be aware of echo chambers and the dangers they pose. Make sure to stay out of your own and do what you can to inform others about the dangers of echo chambers.