Echo Chambers

As a fair warning, this is probably the most old man-esque post I've penned thus far, and that might be saying something: I wrote about The Eagles of Death Metal.  And I'm not particularly a luddite.  In fact, I've got what comedian Eddie Izzard called 'techno-joy'.  I love gadgets, and I absolutely love tinkering with them and figuring out cool new tricks.  But new ideas have a tendency to create new problems, or at least awaken old ones, and the Internet is no exception.

50 years ago, if you had a minority opinion, that was simply it - you were the minority. You had to be persuasive, and sway people to your side, or you had to temper yourself, and frame your beliefs in a more palatable way. Now, there are some obvious downsides to this, and there's some upsides to 'truth' without compromise. But in this new technical age, it seems as though there's no reason to ever change your beliefs. Even the most minority opinion can find its fellows thanks to the world-linking power of the Web.



Let's put it another way. Let's say you believe, for whatever reason, that old school territorial tag team wrestling, like NWA Era stuff, is the highest form of art on the planet. You believe nothing else is comparable - not music, nor film, nor fine art. All pales in comparison to the work of greats like Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. But you live in a small city, and despite even attending wrestling related events, no one shares your oddly specific passion. Moreover, due to some inexplicable shenanigans, there's no Internet in this town. You still get mail, and thanks to the dedicated work of tape traders can find info about the thing you're passionate about, but you can't find a forum in which your passion is reciprocated.

Blanchard and Anderson (see also: The Four Horsemen)

You, however, are not deterred. You still attempt to explain this art to the philistines that surround you. And though many people think you're batshit, some do engage - and it's through that engagement you realize maybe there are other things which can match your art. One person, a bit of a music snob, notes the cooperation and improvisation which makes for good tag team wrestling reminds him of Jazz, from what you've said, and you decide to explore Jazz music. You take to it like Arn Anderson to a spinebuster, and just like that you've discovered a new facet of yourself - a budding Jazz fan. You start to talk about this at parties, which gets you to Blues, which gets you to Blues Dancing, which gets you to Tango - and again you're shocked to discover a remarkable similarity to tag team wrestling - shared physicality and non-verbal communication expressed through performance. And thus you've grown, and while tag wrestling holds a special place in your heart now and forever, maybe, just maybe, it's not the sole form of art you admire.

Now consider an alternative town, one wherein you HAVE the Internet. You do some digging, and low and behold there’s actually a community out there that shares your exact passions.  In all likelihood, it's a subreddit, because that's just how these things go. But whatever it is, you log on, and you’re surrounded by fans of the Four Horsemen and the Killer Bs.  You begin spending a huge chunk of time there, talking about matches and sharing your thoughts about how Arn Anderson might be the single greatest human being on the planet.

Why yes, I do like Arn Anderson.  What's your point?

Now, in this construction, every time you're challenged on your beliefs, every time someone questions the wisdom of your passions and the thought you've devoted to them, you can dismiss them out of hand.  That guy I mentioned before, who recommends you get into Jazz?  You dismiss him out of hand - maybe even complain about it online later.  "Can you believe this guy?  He just doesn't get me."  And thus you careen forward, absolutely certain in the righteousness of your path.  You don't explore nearly as much, and you live as if with blinders - only seeing the limited world in front of you.

Is this construction absurd? Very much so! Nonetheless, it speaks to a fundamental truth: much like plants, people grow - but only in the right environments and only when fed the proper nutrients.

Now, let's get some caveats out of the way, before things spiral out of hand.  Yes, this fundamentally comes down to a personalize decision - it's about being open to new experiences, and not about the technology we use to execute that decision.  There are assholes in the world at large, and they are kind and adventurous people on the internet.  And yes, sometimes people DON'T necessarily need to be heard.  There's a difference between being open to things and blindly accepting all the information that's flung at you.  Moreover, the right to speak freely does not come packaged with the right to demand attention.  Just because you've got something to say doesn't mean anyone is obligated to listen.

But I think what's undeniably true is that right now, more than any other time in our existence, we can live in isolation from each other.  We can filter any and all information we receive, and we can personalize it exactly the way we like.  That's brilliant, but it's also dangerous.  It breeds familiarity and comfort, but it also breeds lethargy and laziness.  And more than anything else, it breeds division.  And as Americans - as citizens of a nation built on the idea that we're stronger together than we've ever been when we were apart, a nation that would not exist without compromise and parallax, maybe there's something to be said for listening to something coming from outside our own personal echo chamber.