We live in a world of ever-flowing information, daily looking into the information cauldron, where many information bubbles are boiling — news, opinions, analytics, posts in social networks. This endless stream of data seems to give us a complete picture of the world. But it is worth getting into one of such bubbles, as we no longer receive true information, but only a polished and convenient version of reality. We don’t even notice how this trap locks us in a narrow circle of identical views and thoughts. It is difficult to get out of it, because from the inside this bubble seems to be the only correct reality.
Information bubbles have become invisible cages for millions of Ukrainians, dividing society into isolated camps that no longer hear each other. More and more people began to agree with what the majority in such newly formed bubbles think and willingly accept the principle «what you like is the truth, and everything else is a lie.» At this rate, critical thinking will soon turn into a rudiment for modern society. We risk ending up in a country where everyone lives in their own parallel reality, where compromise becomes impossible and mistrust grows faster than any reforms.
How dangerous are information bubbles
The information bubble is a kind of mental cocoon that we fall into thanks to modern algorithms. Every time we scroll through our news feed on social networks, search for something on Google or watch a video on YouTube, artificial intelligence selects for us content that most closely matches our interests, views and preferences. It seems convenient — we get exactly the information that interests us. But at the same time, there is a risk that our worldview is gradually narrowing, and everything that goes beyond the usual picture of the world remains out of focus.
The term «filter bubble» was coined by Internet researcher Eli Pariser. He drew attention to the fact that personalized algorithms create a kind of information isolation — a person receives only those news and facts that confirm his beliefs. This is how a closed environment is formed, where we constantly interact only with information that is pleasant and understandable to us.
However, this phenomenon is not something new. People have always sought to simplify the world in order to better understand it. Our brain does not like chaos, so it creates patterns, forms stereotypes and uses already familiar logical chains. This is a natural survival mechanism — this is how the psyche works. However, in today’s world, this mechanism is reinforced by technology, and instead of a diversity of opinions, we increasingly see only what confirms our views.
Social networks and search engines tailor content to us, and the more we interact only with «our» information, the less we notice alternative points of view. This may seem comfortable, but in the long run it leads to an information tunnel where we only see a part of reality. Getting out of the bubble is possible — you need to consciously look for different sources of information, question the obvious and not be afraid to step outside your comfort zone.
Today, when the information space is strained to the limit, various bubbles are actively competing for the right to determine what is happening in the country and beyond — among those who stayed, who left, who fought, who volunteered or who, avoiding the topic of war, focused on their own lives. Ignoring other bubbles and the people who form them becomes a serious obstacle to public understanding, because it leads to the silencing of important issues that each of them considers fundamental. But, as you know, the age of bubbles is short-lived and the time will come when they will begin to flake off. But will society be ready for the real truth when it finally explodes right in your face?
Valery Pekar, a teacher at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, aptly divided modern society into four bubbles, where four groups of the modern elite — activists, entrepreneurs, military and veterans, as well as artists — worry about the same problems, but discuss them only within their communities. And having people crossing multiple of these environments doesn’t solve the problem. And it is hard to disagree with him.
Ukrainian society lives in conditions of war — not only at the front, but also in the information space. Political views, attitude to reforms, language, religion — these are all topics that have become a battlefield for a long time. People who read only «their» sources see only one side of the coin and are convinced that the other side is simply wrong or even hostile. For example, some users see daily news about the corruption of the government, failures of the front and betrayal at every step. Others see only successful counter-offensives, heroic stories and impeccable work of the government. Both of them are convinced that they know the truth, and all others are either naive or enemies. This is how a deep split is formed.
At first it seems convenient: why read something that annoys you? But this is where the problem begins. Information bubbles have become an ideal tool for manipulation. When a person constantly receives confirmation of his beliefs, he becomes vulnerable to fakes and propaganda. Enemies don’t need to come up with complex schemes, they just need to throw the right narrative into the right bubble. Algorithms and our own biases will do the rest. People stop checking information because it meets their expectations. As a result, instead of a full-fledged dialogue, we have conflicts. And where there is no room for compromises, enmity flares up. In a society divided into informational camps, trust in government institutions, the media, and even in neighbors disappears.
For data a study conducted by Vox Ukraine experts in 2024 found that 50.6% of respondents admit that they are in a social bubble in social networks. 257 people aged 16 to 31 took part in this survey, the average age of respondents was 19.9 years. Among them, 65.8% are women, and 34.2% are men. At the time of the survey, 55.3% of respondents were employed. During the analysis of the results, it was found that the main factors influencing the formation of such bubbles were:
- social conformism (feeling of pressure to agree with the dominant opinion;
- frequency of interaction with different views;
- frequency of discussion;
- social network size.
As the results of the study show, the tendency to conformism significantly affects the behavior of people in social networks. The increased pressure to conform to the dominant opinion prompts users to seek out information and contacts that support that view. Thus, the desire for approval from like-minded people contributes to the formation of social bubbles. The lack of contact with alternative points of view prevents users from rethinking their own beliefs, which in turn contributes to the formation or consolidation of social bubbles.
Those who don’t feel part of a social bubble usually don’t feel much pressure to conform their views to mainstream opinion. They often lead discussions and are open to different points of view on social networks, even if they only use a few of them.
As experts note, social network algorithms do not take into account the veracity or balance of information in users’ feeds. After all, their main goal is to keep the attention of the audience and encourage further viewing at any cost. This is how the so-called content funnel appears. For example, on the YouTube platform, recommendations can promote the goals of conspiracy theories. It only takes one interest in such a video, and your feed will begin to gradually change, adapting to this interest. In TikTok, this process happens very quickly, forming an information bubble in real time.
How mankind has always lived in its own illusions
But are social networks the cradle of information bubbles? In fact, the process of «emotional contagion» has a long history. Humanity lived in information bubbles long before the Internet. It’s just that these bubbles changed shapes, tools, and scales, but the essence remained the same: people always sought information that confirmed their beliefs, and rejected everything that deviated from the comfortable picture of the world. The problem is not in technology — it is embedded in our nature.
Think back to the time when books were written by hand and only the chosen ones could read them — priests, scholars or kings. Knowledge was a luxury, and information bubbles were a part of everyday life. People believed what the church or the government told them, because there were simply no other sources. A simple person of the Middle Ages sincerely thought that the earth is the center of the universe, and diseases are the punishment of God.
A vivid example of this was the mysterious «dancing plague» that swept Europe between the 11th and 17th centuries. Its most famous outbreaks occurred in 1374 in Mecca, where 11,000 people simultaneously began to dance chaotically until exhaustion, and in 1518 in Strasbourg, when a woman named Troffea caused mass hysteria with her dance. Among the main explanations for this phenomenon are poisoning by hallucinogens in woodpeckers, mass psychosis caused by the fear of famine, poverty and epidemics, as well as religious beliefs, in particular the idea of the «curse of St. Vitus» as a punishment for sins.
When the printing press appeared, it seemed that the world should become more open and information more accessible. But no. The machine simply allowed more bubbles to be created. Protestants and Catholics printed their treatises, each convinced of their rightness. People chose the book that was more in line with their beliefs and held on to it as the holy truth.
In the 19th century, when newspapers appeared, the situation repeated itself. Publications had their own political views and adapted the news to the interests of their audience. Readers bought the newspaper not to learn the truth, but to confirm what they already believed.
Then radio and television appeared. It would seem that the media should provide an objective picture of the world. But we see the same thing again: dictators used radio as a propaganda tool, democratic countries used it to promote their ideals. Everyone heard only what they wanted to hear.
When the Internet appeared, we all breathed a sigh of relief, because here it is, freedom of information! Now everyone will be able to learn everything about everything. But the Internet did not destroy the bubble. They became even denser. Social networks have made it possible to create personalized worlds where algorithms suggest content that we are sure to like.
It is convenient and, unfortunately, dangerous. People began to live in parallel realities. Some believe in conspiracy theories, some see the world through political filters, and some generally live in the illusion that everything is under control.
Information bubbles are not a technology problem, they are a human nature problem. But unlike medieval peasants or Soviet citizens, we have a chance to get out of these bubbles. The only question is whether we want to do it. Because sometimes a comfortable lie seems more attractive than an uncomfortable truth. Bubbles were never just a toy or an innocent feature. They formed wars, revolutions and even famines. When a person is convinced that he possesses the only truth, he becomes dangerous for himself, for the environment and for the country. This is how fanatics, radicals and those who are ready to destroy everything that does not fit into their reality are created.
How the world fights information bubbles and why it doesn’t always work
Information bubbles have become a global problem, and countries around the world are struggling with how to deal with them. Some are trying to screw up legislation, others are betting on education and media literacy. But the truth is that there is no magic pill. Each country has its own methods, and not all of them work as they would like.
For example, the European Union decided that bubbles and fakes are not just bad, but very bad, and went down the road of regulation. In 2022, the Digital Services Act (DSA) was passed, forcing social networks to fight misinformation. Now Facebook, Twitter and company must remove fake content and transparently explain how their algorithms work. Fake news gets deleted faster and big platforms are responsible for spreading lies. But at the same time there is a problem with censorship. After all, it is difficult to find the same line between the fight against fakes and the restriction of freedom of speech. Moreover, the regulators do not always keep up with the creativity of new manipulators who invent new methods of spreading questionable content every minute.
In the US, everything is more difficult. There, freedom of speech is almost sacrosanct, and the government is in no hurry to interfere with social networks. Instead of strict laws, they focused on education and fact-checking. Media literacy is taught in schools and universities, and independent fact-checking organizations such as Snopes or FactCheck.org. At the same time, people are taught to think critically, and not just ban content. But as practice has shown, even educated people can believe in fakes if they confirm their beliefs. And conspiracists simply do not trust fact-checkers, because according to their beliefs, «they are all bribed.»
China has a completely different approach: if information bubbles are a problem, then let’s create and control them ourselves. A large Chinese firewall blocks access to Western resources, and social networks strictly filter content. The state decides what can be read and what cannot. As a result, fakes and misinformation from the outside really became less. But there is no one to fight internal fakes, which are spread by the state itself.
Sweden, Finland and Norway show an example of how to fight bubbles without draconian measures. There, they rely on media education from kindergarten and a high level of trust in independent mass media. In schools, children are taught to check sources, analyze information and not believe everything in a row. In the process, people themselves are able to filter information, and not wait for the state to do it. But even here it was not without disadvantages. This approach works only where there is a high level of trust in institutions. In countries where the government and the media are associated with corruption, such a model simply cannot hold.
In many countries of Africa and Latin America, information bubbles have long ceased to be a problem of the Internet. It is a matter of survival. For example, during the COVID-19 epidemic, fake treatment led to real deaths. In some countries, even messengers such as WhatsApp have become the main channel for spreading lies. Since access to the Internet and education in these countries is limited, fakes spread faster than official information. And mistrust of governments makes any initiatives ineffective.
It is clear that the world has not yet found a perfect way to fight information bubbles. But there is one rule that works everywhere: critical thinking is the best weapon against lies. No laws or algorithms will save us if we ourselves do not learn to question information and step outside of our comfortable bubbles. And although it is not always pleasant, it will help to stay in reality, and not in illusions.
The first step to dealing with the problem is admitting that you, too, are in a bubble. Yes, even if you seem to think critically. It is not for nothing that psychologists advise to leave the comfort zone. It is necessary to read different, alternative points of view, even if it is uncomfortable and unpleasant. It is worth checking the facts and questioning even the obvious. Well, the most important thing is to value dialogue. Talk to people who think differently. Not to convince or argue, but to understand.
At the same time, education and media literacy bring their useful fruits. After all, if people learn to think critically, then they stop being hostages of the first-best lie. By understanding the algorithms of social networks, users become less dependent on information bubbles. Fact-checking, even if not everyone believes in fact-checking, still helps to create an information field where lies are more easily exposed. At the same time, any censorship and bans only muffle the symptoms without solving the main problem. People simply move to other platforms or create closed groups. If you give complete freedom, then fakes will spread like wildfire. People will accept the «convenient truth» even if it is pure fiction.
Information bubbles are not just a convenient filter for news, but a trap that gradually pulls society into isolation. We are no longer looking for facts, we are looking for confirmation of our beliefs. If the information matches what you like, it is true. Everything else is automatically recorded as a «lie» or «someone else’s opinion, which is better to ignore.» As a result, society breaks up into small camps, where everyone is sure that they know the truth, and everyone else is «ideological enemies.» That is why dialogue becomes impossible, because how to talk with those who do not seem to understand the obvious? We risk turning into a crowd of zombies that swallow information indiscriminately and lose the ability to think critically.
And the worst thing is that it doesn’t happen overnight. We get used to our bubbles little by little, until one day we find that the world outside seems alien and hostile. Will these bubbles pop? Indeed, they are flaking. But the question is whether we are ready to face reality without illusions when it happens. And won’t it be too late.
