Some people use the term devil’s advocate to tag anyone that disagrees with their viewpoint. Isn’t it more dangerous to not listen though. Hear me out here, listening to only what you agree with creates a confirmation bias where everything you know confirms what you think you know even when it's wrong. This has the effect of polarizing individuals and closing the door on any constructive debates. A devil's advocate may be just what we need to build well informed and rounded beliefs and values.
Now imagine a world without a devil's advocate, even worse a world where you have no control over the information you consume. Eli Pariser shows that the online "filter bubbles'' created by algorithms on the internet are creating that world. He states that we are "moving to a world where the internet is showing us what it thinks we want to see and not what we need to see" (Pariser, 2011). This polarizes individuals by creating confirmation biases that we don't know exist. Even worse, these algorithms are only as ethical as their creators. How do we avoid the confirmation biases created by these filter bubble traps?
Search for credible content that contradicts what you already believe. This adds data telling algorithms that you want to see both viewpoints and provides you with an understanding for when people may feel differently than you. I recently read an article on Forbes.com by Natalie Wexler showing that technology hasn’t boosted learning. I feel it has, but Wexler brings up that schools are teaching search skills as a substitute for knowledge. With the limitations on time I concede that this may be true in many cases and is not good for education. While it hasn’t changed my mind about technology, I now have something to consider in my own practice and hopefully my news feeds will reflect my want to see education technology issues from multiple viewpoints.
References:
TED. (2011, February). Beware online "filter bubbles" | Eli Pariser. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles/transcript
Wexler, N. (2021, January 21). Why technology hasn't boosted learning-and how it could. Forbes. July 23, 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2021/01/21/why-technology-hasnt-boosted-learning-and-how-it-could/?sh=66b8db2dc9c1
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