Identifying Echo Chambers

This is an except from Mind Macros 02.

An echo chamber refers to beliefs being amplified and confirmed inside a closed system, away from any rebuttal. Theories are reinforced inside them without any exposure to opposing viewpoints. The result of residing inside an echo chamber is confirmation bias, in which a person interprets information in a way that supports their current beliefs.

“When one is seeking to become informed on complex subjects such as politics, echo chambers are inherently distorting. By getting their news from Facebook, and other platforms, where friends share cultural and political leanings, people are more exposed to people who agree with them, and evidence that supports their views. They are less exposed to opposing perspectives.” – From Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed

C. Thi Nguyen on identifying an echo chamber:

“Does a community’s belief system actively undermine the trustworthiness of any outsiders who don’t subscribe to its central dogmas? Then it’s probably an echo chamber.”