1984 was off by about 17 years

[John Eric Tiessen]

Orson Wells was off by about 17 years when he wrote the book 1984, which described a future in which information  was constantly censored and history always being re-written to suit the image that the central government wanted. The problem is that that day is already here. We are living in an age where we spend a considerable amount of our time online in an environment that isolates us from information and perspectives that are threatening to our own! Case in point: Facebook!

The 'filter bubble'

Facebook actively screen's out information and political views on your news feed that go contrary to your political, religious and general way of thinking about the world.

Why is this concerning? There is no longer a generally accepted perspective on ANY issue! It is becoming impossible to have a generally recognized source of information and opinion! We are headed towards an age where it doesn't matter that you are quoting from a panel of scientists who have definitively proven that global warming is real. The group of conservatives across the table from you will just point to their lone scientist and claim that he's right and the other guys are wrong.

What can we do to avoid this fate? Should we even bother to try and stop this? Finally, what are going to be the long term consequences of this new way of looking at the world, through a metaphorical pinhole camera instead of the traditional wide-field lens?

[Abreo]

I'm not even sure what the problem is to be honest, there are certainly cases of governments rewriting history but this isn't one of them. This is just some people misunderstanding how science works, which is a completely different problem.

History has always been controlled by the victor. Now however instead of the government telling you that all foreign aggressors are evil it's possible to utilize the internet to develop a complete picture. If anything we're saved from having to listen to one source which is probably incorrect. We can track down as many sources as possible.

[Vertigo_One [Ops Mod]]

Orson Wells was off by about 17 years when he wrote the book 1984

Orson Wells didn't write any books. You are thinking of George Orwell.

Facebook actively screen's out information and political views on your news feed that go contrary to your political, religious and general way of thinking about the world.

 

Echo chambers aren't news. People have had them for a very long time. The internet amplifies them, but yes they aren't new

[Chen]

Ray Bradbury died 5 days ago. I just finished reading Farenhite 451. I think I started reading it about the time he died without even knowing it. With the wave of violence and car accidents and talk of expelling immigrants in my country, the resemblance is uncanny. I'm no religious person but I'm starting to think it was fate that brought me to the library and search the sci-fi section after a couple of years of not visitimg there at all.....creepy.....I need to discuss this book with someone and distopian books in general.

[Chris L]

Facebook may filter things, it may even be capable of halting a person from learning the truth about a political, cultural or religious ideology, but it isn't new. Before ships your thoughts were bared by your borders, before (and way after) telephones, people had no way of connecting to other ideology's in ways other than preachers sent from afar. The internet shapes your thoughts just as anything else does, be it TV or your parents. The difference's with the internet is now it is far easer to either polarise your view to the point of a bigot, or see that your view is massively flawed and change. You also have the ability to express this view and call BS on something else. It is also far safer to learn and question views (especially radical ones) via the internet than other means such as parents or peers. 

[Chen]

Off topic here, but would just like to ask, regarding extreme views and views in general (maybe I should make my own thread?):

Has anyone ever noticed that a lot of times people get so caught up in their views they forget why they believe what they do?

[Chris L]

Sort of, when someone has to backup a view many times (mainly due to the controversy thus extremeness) they will start quoting (or misquoting) things that back it up, they will be convinced all these reasons are why they think what they think, but I doubt their original opinion was the same, and all reasons why they thought it in the beginning would be to weak. (possible valid reasons, just not for such an extreme view)

[Mikeferdy]

No, he was right... except its in Singapore....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yY5cHDVR2I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTFx7atnMV4

[Lauren coleman]

I totally disagree with this. Firstly as everyone else has already said, it was George Orwell who wrote 1984 not Orson Welles. Orson Welles was the guy who directed Citizen Kane.  Secondly 1984 is about people being controlled by the government to the extent that they can't even think independently. That isn't happening in our world, sure Facebook might be doing something stupid but it's not like people are required to have Facebook. 

What you're saying doesn't make any sense, being online doesn't isolate us from information - in fact it does the complete opposite. Because of the internet people have more access to information than ever. 

[Vertigo_One [Ops Mod]]

What you're saying doesn't make any sense, being online doesn't isolate us from information - in fact it does the complete opposite.

 

On the other hand, it also is a great oppotunity to filter infomation. Think about it. If you are of a left wing persuasion, you can find left wing blogs, left wing tumblrs, left wing tweeters etc to surround youself with, and select infomation you agree with to support your world view. The internet allows us the most powerful echo chambers immaginable. Now you might say "I don't do that!" but the truth is, everyone does it unconsiosuly. You surround yourself with people you like and agree with. Very few of us actively go out to search for the views, opinions and sources of those who disagree with us. 

[Lauren coleman]

Exactly, what i was saying is that people have the freedom to find whatever information they want. Wether they choose to filter it or not is their choice. And the fact that they have a choice at all is completely opposite to the world of 1984.   

[Vertigo_One [Ops Mod]]

Yes, but what is happening now is that the fact that people in power are having echo chambers is having real world results. People are being denied things because of how they think, not their behaviour, because people are thinking that certain patterns of thinking are just "wrong". The danger with going down that road is that you end up limiting people's freedom to an absurd and dangerous degree.

[Hutch Hogan]

It's just so hard to be Christian, isn't it?