Filter bubbles–what price personalization?
You know those recommendations you get from your favorite websites? A few come to mind--books from Borders, music from Pandora, just about anything from eBay? Sometimes they're spot on, sometimes not. I couldn't have been more surprised when I opened an email a few months ago, and the very first recommended item from Amazon.com was a walker. I didn't know whether to laugh or take offense. I'm no spring chicken, but seriously, a walker!! The thought did cross my mind...nah, there's no way Amazon could possibly know that bilateral knee replacements are common in my family.
Fast forward to a tweet by @susannahfox referencing a blog post by Ethan Zuckerman Eli Pariser on Filter Bubbles. Personally, I like filters. Filters get rid of the noise and allow me quicker access to what's relevant to me. When I search "Cocco's" at home around dinnertime, the first thing I see is the phone number to our local pizza shop. I never questioned who decided that's what I should see. I just took this convenience for granted. After all, what's wrong with personalization? One size doesn't fit all--a lesson learned in the 70s when someone got the bright idea that all women could be accommodated with the one-size-fits-all dress. It never entered my head that evil forces could be at work, and I might someday be all alone in my very personalized filter bubble. This may be okay if I could still have my pizza. But according to the article, it seems more likely that I would end up with the walker. Apparently, these filters are invisible. I don't choose the filter, it chooses me. I can't turn it off. This is good to know. At least now I can amuse myself by trying to trick the filters. I'll worry about this for a few weeks, then it will be something new. A while back it was personalized medicine. I figured there was the danger that no one would develop therapies tailored for me based on my genetics. If they did, I probably couldn't afford them. Eventually me and others like me would die out. Sadly now it's more likely that I'll waste away alone in my filter bubble with only a walker for comfort.
