Week 12: Confirmation Bias

 

    Dictionary.com defines Confirmation Bias as “Bias that results from the tendency to process and analyze information in such a way that supports one’s predicting ideas and convictions.” This has become common place on the internet when discussing all topics. Whether it be political or not, if there is an argument made on the internet, chances are echo chambers will be formed. We as humans want to be around others like us, especially ones that a like-minded and share out ideals. this is most likely due to our need to belong and confirmation bias more or less helps with that. It helps to find others who share the same opinion on a topic and allows us to speak more freely about our opinions concerning a certain topic. Not only that, but it can at times help us find supporting evidence for a particular argument when consulting others who are looking for the same thing. However, more often than not, confirmation bias is a real problem that does more harm than good. Many times when people are divided on an issue, they will refuse to look at evidence that would challenge their ideas, or listen to others who have a differing opinion. Dividing the groups involved even further, and often times making them even more unwilling to listen to the opposing group. We do not like having our ideas challenged, which is why we often do not listen or willfully ignore opposition and is also why confirmation bias is a natural thing to have. Whether we are aware of it or not, everyone has some level of confirmation bias, it is just how our brains work. As mentioned before, often times things such as online forums become simple echo chambers for like minded individuals. However, the mainstream media is now nothing but multi-billion dollar funded echo chambers. FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, any mainstream news source usually takes one side of an argument or an opinion and sticks with it no matter what. Even if there is hard evidence to challenge their ideas, they will either dismiss it as myth or outright ignore it like it does not exist. The fact that it is so hard to find a news outlet, mainstream or not, that presents both sides of an argument and then offers their opinion, is honestly detrimental to the U.S. and its people. The people are hardly ever truthfully informed anymore, at least not 100% truthful. There is always some kind spin on the stories the media tell us to try and make us think a certain way. Not only that, but nobody does their own research anymore and I dare say that many do even think critically anymore. Much of the U.S. population now just blindly believes what they are told by the echo chambers to fulfill that confirmation bias and feel good about what they think, not willing to learn and grow. Overall, while it is natural and can be helpful in certain scenarios, confirmation bias is usually a detriment the people should fight to overcome.

Week 11: On & Offline Privacy

    It's crazy to me just how common place the invasion of our privacy has become. Almost everything we do nowadays provides a ton of information to the government and big companies, and in many cases we technically give them permission by agreeing to their terms of service. I don't understand how the people who run these huge companies think it's okay to invade and profit off our private information. It baffles me even more how so many people, including myself to an extent, have become complacent with these practices. There's a certain point where many of us say something along the lines of "Well, it's too late to try and stop it." or "They're too big and too powerful to do anything about it." As I said, I have found myself saying this, but I think we all need to be reminded of just how much power we the people have to say no this kind of stuff. I think we should try to work towards much harsher regulations for such invasive things.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1509/jppm.19.1.7.16951

Week 10: Diffusion of Innovations

   

        Throughout history, thousands of innovations have come and gone. Whether they be physical of ideological, there appears to be a trend concerning how society as a whole takes on to them. This is explained through Everett Rogers Diffusion of Innovations theory.  The theory argues that there are always early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. I think an especially good example of this theory given recent times, is the innovation of video games and gaming systems. From the classic Atari to the modern PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The Atari and NES originally sold very well because they were marketed as a product for the whole family to enjoy and play together. However, while there are still many family friendly party games, gaming has moved more towards solo play, or online if it is multiplayer. Regardless though, most people in the modern world have accepted this technology as part of their lives, and many have even made it their whole lives as career on sites like YouTube and Twitch or even developing and critiquing games. Now, there are some people are still not too keen on using/accepting this technology. There is still some stigma against video games, because some believe that playing videogames is nothing but a waste of time and causes violence. Both of these are untrue and the benefit highly outweighs the cost (maybe not literally because the new consoles are very expensive). Gaming systems offer endless hours of entertainment, can connect people across the world through these games, improves reaction times, teaches time/resource management, teaches actual morales in some games, and there is no evidence that playing video games causes violence in real life. The majority of people who have not accepted this technology are older and still think of gaming systems with that previously mentioned stigma.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_innovations