EOTO Reactions 2: Group 2

Group two’s presentation stood out to me as I felt like there was a lot of information pertinent to my generation specifically. I found what Maggie brought up about online echo chambers to be shocking. I had never thought about it but every single social media platform I have has an algorithm that tailors the posts I see to my interests. These algorithms have unintentionally created these online echo chambers by only showing us content similar to what we’ve interacted with in the past making it nearly impossible to see other viewpoints on social media. Having an open mind can be hard when the only information you’re getting is filled with comments and likes agreeing with your shared point of view. I think this has, in part, led to how stubborn of a generation we are. I will now make more of a conscious effort to seek out other viewpoints on important policies to make sure I do not remain trapped within an echo chamber.

Sasha from the same group taught me that as humans we are hard-wired for oral storytelling. Hence why podcasts have become one of the top sources of information and entertainment in the last decade. Podcasts can focus on an infinite number of topics which is why they’re so captivating and have become so popular. However, podcasts can be dangerous as there aren’t any FCC protocols for online mediums like podcasts, meaning you could accidentally consume harmful content when listening to a podcast.  Michelle went on to teach me that today social media platforms can be considered a part of mainstream media, which I was not yet aware of but I'm also not shocked by. As Michelle mentioned in her presentation, a large portion of our generation only receives news from social media which is not as bad as it used to be because large news platforms have now joined social media and provide reporting on apps like TikTok, X, Instagram, and more.

The section on Alternative Media was also very informative. While mainstream and alternative media can discuss the same topics, alternative media often tries to cover more obscure issues that wouldn’t be broadcast by CNN or FOX which can be an advantage. However, Alternative media is hard to determine to be reliable which is what makes it so much less popular than the mainstream here in the U.S.