A study from Pew Research this week found that 30% of us get our daily news primarily from browsing our Facebook statuses and newsfeed. In some ways, it seems harmless that we feel our friends and family would provide the best, a real time platform to share news of importance to us. On the other side of the coin, there are severe consequences. We end up in a situation similar to one detailed by Eli Prasier in his book The Filter Bubble, where the only news we consume, or even see, is limited only to news that interests us; information has been customized and personalized to the point that we may never see an article about protests in Venezuela, but will see an endless stream of about a starlet getting a DUI. Indeed, 73% of the news we see on Facebook pertains to entertainment news and people and events in our community, with international news not even making up 40%. In this world, the type of information we're exposed to doesn't branch much further than our immediate self. The frightening thing is this format of showing you only news that interests you is not limited to social media. Search engines also "learn" what information interests us, and, for example, if you are a staunch Catholic, your search for birth control may yield news results about attempts to restrict access, while someone with opposing views may see search results for Planned Parenthood. As our newsfeeds become more customized to our worlds, it becomes increasingly important to venture outside of our bubbles, lest we limit our knowledge, perspective and understanding to our own (increasingly) narrow view.Read more: http://www.journalism.org/2014/03/26/8-key-takeaways-about-social-media-and-news/
