With the rapid growth of social media, there has been growing concern about the impact of these platforms in terms of what information we get and how we get it. A common refrain is that the algorithms used to power these networks produce echo chambers that deliver us a very narrow range of content.
A new game from the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology aims to help us become more aware of echo chambers and hopefully avoid falling into them.
The game, called ChamberBreaker, tests players’ awareness of content that could result in them falling into an echo chamber, while also alerting players to the ways in which echo chambers can accelerate the spread of misinformation.
“Since people who fall into an echo chamber tend to consume the information they want to see, whether and how much the information is the same as their belief is usually more important than how credible the information is,” the researchers say. “This indicates a necessity to conduct research on how to help people fundamentally understand an echo chamber and experience its negative consequences.”
Raising awareness
“We all tend to conform to and agree with the group opinion. Hence, people naturally get together with others who hold the same opinion,” the authors continue. “But if you’re not careful and not thinking critically, there is a high risk for someone to fall into an echo chamber. Hopefully, in the future, this kind of tool helps people learn a sort of online hygiene—similar to washing your hands to protect yourself from illness.”
The game tasks players with trying to misinform the audience in the hope that they will ultimately fall into an echo chamber. They begin by being randomly assigned to a scenario in areas such as health, the environment, or politics. They’re assigned six tweets on that particular topic and are asked to select the message that would most likely result in people falling into an echo chamber while also maintaining their trust.
Readings in the game illustrate both the player’s credibility and the echo chamber effect within the community. The goal of the game is to keep both readings above a certain level. Once the community tips into an echo chamber the player can witness some of the consequences.
Psychological game
The game has a number of psychological theories underpinning it. For instance, it works heavily with the theory of inoculation and the researchers believe that we can develop “mental antibodies” in much the same way we develop antigens after being vaccinated.
The game also explores the role heuristics play in allowing us to make rapid judgments about things when we have limited information, and how these could then contribute towards us succumbing to echo chambers.
Lastly, the gamification element of the game aims to improve people’s self-awareness in a fun and engaging way that encourages participation. With many people succumbing to fake news without realizing it, the game is certainly important.
“Fake news is not a new phenomenon,” the researchers say. “In fact, as human beings, we’ve seen it again and again throughout history; it’s an age-old problem. Therefore, it indicates that there are some fundamental cognitive mechanisms that play a role.”
Put to the test
The game has been tested to examine its actual impact on players and especially whether it resulted in any changes to the news consumption patterns of individuals after they had played the game.
800 volunteers were tasked with completing a survey prior to playing the game, with half then asked to play the game and the other half reading information about echo chambers and read a sample of tweets similar to those used in the game. Both groups then completed a second survey that was designed to predict their future behaviors when reading news online.
The results reveal that those who played the game were more likely to demand information from a more diverse range of sources and perspectives in future, and also had a greater awareness of the potential of echo chambers forming.
“Our methodology has been proven to be useful in helping people realize the importance of information diversity and the characteristics of echo chambers, as well as educating people to become healthier news consumers,” the researchers conclude.
