Introduction
The emergence of the Internet is linked to lofty aspirations for more educated societies, better civic dialogue, and a global community with unrestricted access to knowledge. This understanding is hindered by the filter bubbles phenomenon, which states that user-tailored systems of information, such as tailored recommender systems and personal search engines, only present users with content they would find pleasant. Although beneficial in some aspects, it can insulate one from other knowledge.
The filter bubble one creates via online behavior might make one less tolerant of competing viewpoints and less able to spot bias and fake news. Therefore, a viewpoint-oriented search (VOS) should be developed based on the premise that the user should not be constrained to results relating to a certain perspective on the search issue. The development of VOS is essential to facilitate fair and unbiased information retrieval, allowing users to access a diversity of perspectives on a search topic, thereby promoting informed decision-making and fostering an inclusive digital discourse.
Addressing Information Bubbles With Viewpoint-Oriented Search
Information bubbles pose a risk to search engine’s ability to deliver fair knowledge and cause harm. For instance, computerized programming algorithms are used by web pages like Google, Instagram, and TikTok to decide what information to present to a user (O’Brien). These repercussions may harm civil dialogue and free-thinking debate (Tabrizi 351). Implementing VOS, nevertheless, can be a successful tactic in overcoming such prejudice. Consider a user looking for the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict. Several different points of view exist on where the two countries stand. One is the anti-Ukrainian stance of the Russian administration.
On the other hand, there is the anti-Russian perspective held by the Ukrainian administration. The framework will place emphasis on informing the user that many points of view are present and giving them control over whatever standpoint they wish to see the results of their search. On such apparent conflicts, VOS may encourage critical thinking and help users avoid accepting lies by enabling them to see the boundaries of their bubbles and attempt to escape them.
The issue with old customized search engines was finding the right responses for the user in various settings while minimizing stereotypes. For instance, consider a user profile of a supporter of the Green Bay Packers who, for some reason, is now looking for favorable or neutral information about a rival team like the Chicago Bears. A customized search engine could, in this situation, skew the results in favor of the unwanted ones. Users may become trapped in their own knowledge bubbles as a result of these biases (Tabrizi 362).
However, VOS will handle the issue by clearly context modeling the results and giving the user control over the search. Using this setting, the user may benefit from personalization without being trapped in an information bubble. VOS will comply with identity values as a consequence.
Respect for users’ autonomy will be a key feature of VOS. VOS puts consumers in control by letting them decide when and how they would like to examine the subject from different angles. In the same way, VOS will let users consciously hold on to their own opinions and choose to view the subject from their personal opinions, such as choosing between the Republican and Democratic parties as the perspective, even after they are made aware that there are other perspectives. As a result, VOS adheres to the principle of autonomy, and the paradigm avoids a number of potentially harmful civic and ethical consequences, which raises the credibility of search engines.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the information bubble affects how people find information online. The same algorithms that help individuals access pertinent information fast may also push them toward a gravitational knowledge abyss, which may result in bias and a lack of moral character. Therefore, the VOS paradigm will be essential for individuals online to reduce such threats. The approach seeks to reduce the information bubble that results from Web searches. It promotes illuminating the search subject by providing the user freedom after providing them with pre-existing viewpoints. Additionally, VOS respects user liberty and broadens the view of context modeling. Therefore, VOS will help users in particular situations construct their information demands more quickly and acquire a greater recall.
Works Cited
O’Brien Clodagh. “How Do Social Media Algorithms Work?” Digital Marketing Institute, Digital Marketing Institute. 2023. Web.
Tabrizi, Shayan A., and Azadeh Shakery. “Perspective-Based Search: A New Paradigm for Bursting the Information Bubble.” Facets, vol. 4, no.1, 2019, pp. 350-388. Web.