One of the most interesting concepts to learn about through the “each one teach one” presentations was the echo chamber. In his presentation, Henry opened with several examples that helped introduce the idea of echo chambers. For instance, he asked how many people thought the Lakers are overrated and those who did not raise their hand were seen as the “other side” who wasn’t a part of the majority's echo chamber. The echo chamber refers to a social structure from which other relevant voices have been actively discredited, creating almost a circle of only similar beliefs and opinions. People are conditioned to distrust contrary views or information from the "other side" which only reinforces their own ideas and convinces them that others are wrong. People from the “other side” are portrayed as lacking integrity, morals, and intelligence.
Why are echo chambers so dangerous to us as a society? Well, with echo chambers, you can expose the person to new information to try to change their views and open their minds, but it won't work because they don't trust any of the information sources or people that contradict their view. Additionally, it creates a massive divide within our country where both sides ostracize the other. For example, people who watch CNN think people who watch Fox are misinformed while people who watch Fox think people who watch CNN are misinformed. Both news networks have a strong bias towards either the right or left and it segregates people from each other because of their differing beliefs.
The only way to escape the echo chamber is by suspending all beliefs about preconceived notions, judgements, and essentially unlearning everything you’ve been told. Another important thing to remember is the importance of utilizing multiple forms of media and news sources to avoid falling into an echo chamber habit. Explore obscure websites, listen to opinions that differ from your own, and gather information to form your own beliefs, not just echo what has been told to you.
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