There’s a lot of talk about echo chambers when you’re on social media. That is, you befriend and thereby follow people who are, by and large, like you.
They have similar interests, they perhaps even have similar socio-political views and therefore it can be quite and affirmational place to be.
The Wikipedia definition of “echo chamber” is as follows:
In news media an echo chamber is a metaphorical description of a situation in which information, ideas, or beliefs are amplified or reinforced by transmission and repetition inside an "enclosed" system, where different or competing views are censored, disallowed, or otherwise underrepresented.
So on social media it’s a bit like this:
Post a clever tweet, get a ton of retweets. Post a nice update on Facebook, get a ton of likes. Post a nice blog to Medium or WordPress, get a ton of “oohs and aahs”.
I’ve got people who hold very different views to me in my circle of followers/followed and I can tolerate most differences.
Dopamine is released into our system when we feel good like this and so is the social chemical oxytocin. It’s why social media has taken off so much – it all appeals to things we know are not controlled by conscious stimulation but by the body and mind just “doing its thing”.
It’s how many online games, user experience in apps and even gambling systems are designed.
So on social media platforms we find ourselves in two states of cognitive envelopment.
The natural reward
Firstly, getting likes, shares and forwards is rewarding. It makes us feel good that people liked the pictures we posted to Instagram, the comment on the Yammer thread and the instant reply we got through WhatsApp. We feel affirmed. We feel relevant. We feel appreciated.
People like us
Secondly, we’re around people like us. HR practitioners, football club fans, Great British Bake off watchers, similar ages (probably), social standing, class, schooling, intellect. Political persuasion. People like us in many different ways.
This is perhaps why we’re surprised that we’re now seeing some venomous exchanges, unfollows, blocks and tirades of challenge following all sorts of political and divisive news of late.
In the real world would you REALLY go out for dinner regularly with someone who held polar opposite views to you?
So maybe the echo chambers we thought we occupied on our social networks weren’t as cosy, aligned and homogenous as we had feared. And in fact a little thinning out of the network via people who have views, exchanges and challenges that simply aren’t aligned to yours is a good thing.
Or is it?
Shouldn’t we embrace different views that stop us living in a bubble of sameness? A diverse network is surely great isn’t it? Why should you block people just because they take you on somewhat over political differences?
Back in the real world…
Hang on though, in the real world would you REALLY go out for dinner regularly with someone who held polar opposite views to you on the economy, animal rights, feminism, sporting allegiances, religion or what the future of HR should be like?
I doubt it.
Some people can see past the differences but some things you value are of such value that you just don’t want to be around, in contact with or exchanging anything with someone who held those opposite views and beliefs.
So it is becoming with Remainers and Leavers.
I’m not going there by the way but yes, I’ve blocked, unfollowed and gotten into some mild spats with people who held such a strong and (IMHO) controversial view on things it just made their being part of my network something I no longer wanted.
So is such “expulsion” to preserve the echo chamber I’ve created and more of the same choir that I’m singing to?
NO.
I’ve got people who hold very different views to me in my circle of followers/followed and I can tolerate most differences.
Some differences I adore as I often call some of my network my “earth wire” – i.e. if I’m off-piste or talking out of turn, they’ll bring me back to earth. Make sure I’m not overloading in one direction or another.
Take disruption as an example. The concept of disruption is abhorred by several people in my network. And adored by some. And used in a foolhardy way by some and brilliant way by others. Nothing too serious in that but it can get heated at times. I’m inclined to sometimes think “shall I mute?” and in some cases I have. In the majority of cases I don’t.
I appreciate difference. I love difference.
Because in my network – or echo chamber if you want to call it that – are people with different views to me but none of them have demonstrated such an antagonising opposite view or shown outrageously destructive behaviours that they are welcome differentiators in my network.
I’m comforted that this is how I’d be in real life (with an acknowledgement of the extra numbers you get with social media of course) and in real life I wouldn’t hang out with fascists just because I didn’t have any in my circle of friends and I needed to experience their views and thoughts.
I’m comfortable with my echo chamber, my earth wires and to deselect toxic people from my following/followers.
I seek out alternative views. I can tolerate respectful view opposition. I appreciate difference. I love difference. If people think I have a social media “love-in” community and they don’t want to be part of the echo chamber, I won’t try and stop them muting / unfollowing / blocking.
The distant echo…of faraway voices, posting faraway blogs…