Eli Pariser Unveils What the Internet is Concealing

**Title: The Impact of Filter Bubbles on Digital Media and How to Build a Better Online Information Ecosystem**

**Description:**
In this thought-provoking video, author and activist Eli Pariser delves into the concept of “filter bubbles” and their consequences on our social feeds and online information streams. Eli Pariser, who first coined the term, explains how algorithms in these filter bubbles often prioritize content that confirms users’ pre-existing beliefs, leading to increased partisanship and tribalism in our online experiences.

Drawing on his book, “The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You,” Pariser highlights the need for media systems that challenge our existing knowledge and expose us to diverse perspectives. He argues that our online platforms should be rebuilt to serve the greater good, emphasizing the importance of serendipity and creative thinking for societal progress.

Join us as Eli Pariser shares his insights on the negative implications of algorithmic relevance and the potential for media systems to shape a more informed and inclusive online world.

**Transcript:**
[00:00] – Speaker: I’ve been thinking a lot more about organizing information and particularly I’ve been thinking about the consequences of the race for algorithmic relevance, and I’ll explain what I mean by that in a minute.

[00:15] – Speaker: If algorithmic relevance isn’t constructed in the right way, if our information streams aren’t constructed in the right way, we may find ourselves at a loss for the kind of creative thinking and brilliant breakthroughs that we’ve been talking about at the conference.

[00:31] – Speaker: Evolution really requires this kind of serendipity. And when you have a perfectly controlled, a perfectly constructed algorithmic environment that’s showing you exactly what it calculates you’re going to want to see, we lose that. We need media systems that call our attention to the things we don’t know, rather than simply reinforcing what we already believe.

[00:51] – Speaker: Our ultimate goal should be to create an online ecosystem that doesn’t block or shield us from diverse perspectives. Let’s build media systems that encourage curiosity and provide exposure to alternate opinions and viewpoints.

**Related Links & Sources**:
– [The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You](https://www.amazon.com/Filter-Bubble-What-Internet-Hiding/dp/0143121235) by Eli Pariser
– [Urban Planning Principles](https://www.urban.org/urban-planning-principles) – Urban Institute
– [The Impact of Algorithmic Relevance](https://www.wired.com/story/what-is-an-algorithm/) – Wired Magazine

Author and activist Eli Pariser coined the term and introduced the concept ‘filter bubble’, on which he authored his 2011 book ‘The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You’. ‘Filter bubbles’ are algorithms that lead the social feeds mostly show people news that confirms’ users prior beliefs, encouraging partisanship and tribalism. Pariser says social platforms should be rebuilt to serve the greater good, drawing on principles from urban planning.