LESSON

Bursting the Filter Bubble

How does our experience online shape what we see, believe, and share?

Our feeds are designed to keep us stuck in a content loop, which creates filter bubbles that can limit our perspective without us even realizing it. Students will discover how filter bubbles, echo chambers, and confirmation bias work together to narrow viewpoints and influence what we see, believe, and share online. By examining real-world examples, students will develop practical strategies to break free from their bubbles, ensuring that their understanding of the world is continually challenged and expanded.

Objectives

Understand what filter bubbles, echo chambers, and confirmation bias are
Reflect on the limitations and drawbacks caused by filter bubbles
Identify strategies for escaping their own filter bubbles

Vocabulary

Filter Bubble · Echo Chamber · Confirmation Bias

Filter Bubble – when apps and sites only show you information based on what you've liked before, creating a personalized view that might limit different perspectives

Echo Chamber – a situation in which people only hear opinions of one type, or opinions that are similar to their own

Confirmation Bias – a tendency to accept information that supports what we already believe and pay less attention to information that doesn't