What is Real?
I’ve been thinking a lot about the social media algorithm and how it tends to create echo chambers and shifts our perception of reality. As you likely know, the algorithm feeds us more and more of what it thinks we want to see, meaning the more content we post or engage with, the more of that content gets echoed back at us. This tends to fortify our beliefs on certain subjects, which, by default, makes opposing beliefs appear less valid. That’s the dangerous part.
This is probably a silly example, but let’s look at the keto diet for a moment. I played around with keto for a bit, and because I’d constantly see it on social media, I got the impression that tons of people were also doing it. And maybe they were. Or maybe it was just the algorithm shoving keto in my face because I had engaged with keto content. But since I stopped engaging with keto content, now I hardly ever see keto mentioned, which makes me assume that the keto trend has fizzled out. And maybe it has, but that’s not the point. The point is that, I don’t know for certain whether the keto trend fizzled out, or the algorithm simply shifted focus. It’s entirely possible that the keto diet is still going as strong as ever, but I’d never know it since I no longer see it on my feed.
Quite literally, the impression we get from the algorithm could be contradicting reality. Which is admittedly pretty harmless with something like keto, but gets pretty dicey when it comes to politics, war and genocide, just to name a few.
And what’s the solution? How do we reclaim reality? The truth is, I don’t completely know. Less time (or no time) on social media is probably the best place to start. But regardless, I believe it’s vital that we spend more time engaging with the real world. Talking with people we wouldn’t normally talk with—being curious and asking questions and really listening to their responses. Reading books or listening to podcasts about topics we wouldn’t normally explore, created by authors or hosts that we wouldn't normally follow. Engaging with content that counters our own beliefs. And by constantly asking ourselves “is this the way the world truly is, or is this simply what’s being presented to me?”
“Constant and frequent questioning is the first key to wisdom … For through doubting we are led to inquire, and by inquiry we perceive the truth.”
-Peter Abelard
