Online Filter Bubbles Summary

The TedTalk "Beware of Online Filter Bubbles" by Eli Pariser illustrates Boyd's argument on needing to understand more about the internet and the algorithms it uses by showing examples of these algorithms and how they affect not only our research, but our understanding of technology. Eli Pariser performed this TedTalk about online filter bubbles in March of 2011. Eli Pariser is a political and internet activist and chief executive of Upworthy, a website that provides a wide variety of educational and useful viral content. Therefore, he has a background of using technology to the most of its ability. In this TedTalk, Eli Pariser shares his experience with the algorithms of popular search engines and social media sites. Pariser points out that these algorithms are not to our benefit when he explains that, "This moves us very quickly toward a world in which the internet is

Pariser explains how it is important in research or everyday exchanges with technology to contain a wide variety of information, but these filter bubbles instead give us "information junk food" instead of a "balanced information diet" (Pariser 5:02). Pariser uses that metaphor to explain why algorithms need to be developed with people in mind and give the researcher a sense of control over what the filters block out. Pariser's argument that we need to understand and essentially control these algorithms illustrates Boyd's argument. Boyd begins to argue that we need to understand these algorithms before we can be digitally literate. Boyd uses that claim to show that these so called digital natives are not already digitally literate. Pariser's TedTalk illustrates Boyd's argument by giving examples of how these algorithms affect our experience with technology and how vital it is for these algorithms to be