Search Broadly

The way you search the Internet can reinforce your beliefs—without you realizing it

- Simon Makin

PEOPLE’S VIEWS are becoming more and more polarized, with “echo chambers”—social bubbles that reinforce existing beliefs—exacerbating differences in opinion. This divergence doesn’t just apply to political opinions; it also touches on factual topics, from climate change to vaccination.

And social media is not the sole culprit, according to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. It turns out that people use search engines in ways that confirm their existing beliefs, potentially amplifying polarization. A simple tweak to search algorithms, the researchers propose, could help deliver a broader range of perspectives.