One thing I both love and hate about social media is the filter bubble effect, also known as a social media bubble. With increasingly smart algorithms and search tools available online, we have the ability to isolate ourselves from any information we don’t agree with or don’t want to see. A related effect is the echo chamber, where all we see is information from particular sources, which can create a distorted view of reality.
The echo chamber effect is cited as one of the causes of the incorrect predictions in the 2016 Presidential election. Because so many people only heard what was going inside their bubble, they missed the events that happened outside, which is why the election took a turn that many didn’t expect. Those people who took in information from many sources made more accurate predictions than those who were inside their own little bubbles.
The reason I am bringing this up today is that my bubble is filled with amazing people. Most of them are considerate, empathic, and genuinely care for the well-being of others, even those who don’t do the same for them. I am so happy that it is that way, but I am constantly reminded that I don’t know how much of the rest of the world is like that. That is another side effect of the filter bubble. It makes it very easy to divide the world into two halves. Those who are inside your bubble, and those who are not. Us, and Them. Those who are with us, and… well, you know the rest.
Inside our bubbles, everyone thinks the same. We can shout all we want, post all of our memes, say whatever we want, and while we may get cheered on, no one is going to hear us. It’s just the echoes of our own little world bouncing around and around. To change the world, you have to break the bubble. Not only do you have to break out of yours, but you have to bring other people out of theirs. When you are in your echo chamber, everything can seem like it is going fine, but to quote Plato “the empty vessel makes the loudest sound”. Plato thought that the world was just shadows on a cave wall, that nothing in this world was of true substance, and that is certainly true of an echo chamber.
Many of the people within my bubble do not identify as male. This automatically makes the world a lot harder for them. Many of these people, maybe even most of these people, have been assaulted and abused over the years. To those who are reading this who do not identify as male, this will not come as a surprise. If you are a man and you are surprised by this, then maybe your bubble is emptier than you thought. Perhaps you should sit down and talk with your non-male identifying about their experiences. If you do, do both yourself and them a favor and don’t talk. Just listen. You just might learn something, and if you do learn something, you might find it makes you a better person.
Based on my last few journal entries, I’m sure it will come as no surprise that I am a fan of everyone learning some form of effective self-defense. The world is a dangerous place for those who do not identify as male, and people should know what to do should the worst come to pass. There are some very good groups that are run by women who have actual experience in these kinds of situations and know what will actually work and what is just bullshit.
However, although I am in favor of educating people on what to do, I am even more in favor of educating people on what NOT to do. And of course, by this I mean don’t fucking abuse or assault people. This applies to the tiny, everyday abuses too, like talking over people. As much as I am in favor of teaching women and girls and others of being able to stand up and say “I’m talking”, I want to make it so they don’t have to do this in the first place!
There are some people who will protest that women and others shouldn’t have to learn self-defense or to practice speaking up for themselves when someone speaks over them, and they are right. In an ideal world, they shouldn’t. But, and here’s the really, really important part: WE DON’T LIVE IN AN IDEAL WORLD. If we don’t teach at-risk and disenfranchised individuals how to speak up and defend themselves now, they will never make it to the point where they don’t have to. But by the same token, we have to teach others not to make these things necessary, or they always will be. Which brings me to the one thing I want you to take away from this entry, which is something you can do from outside your bubble:
Prepare for the world you live in, teach for the world you want.
