Escaping from Echo Chambers and Filter Bubbles : An Exploratory Study

Abstract

When people consume news online, they are exposed to algorithms that determine the selection of content. The output is personalised based on user behaviour, which can result in echo chambers and filter bubbles. Most of existing research on echo chambers and filter bubbles focusses on existence and magnitude of the two phenomena. Only few scholars concentrate on the opinions of internet users about echo chambers and filter bubbles. The strategies for escaping echo chambers and filter bubbles also receive little attention. This study examines how people perceive echo chambers and filter bubbles and how they try to escape from them. For this purpose, a qualitative interview study was conducted with ten students who regularly read news online. It turns out that the interviewees recognise the dangers of filter bubbles, but at the same time in some cases they deliberately remain in them. In addition, this study was able to identify a variety of strategies for escaping filter bubbles. Surprisingly, even though filter bubbles only take place online, real life also plays an important role in escaping them. The findings are limited to filter bubbles, as none of the interviewees have yet found themselves in an echo chamber.