# Filter and label your email


The first time I downloaded Tik Tok, I was trapped in the hellhole that the internet has named "straight TikTok." Here, I found myself seeing a variety of videos that barely scratched my interest. I never verbalized this comfort. It was not like I was in a store, and I could simply complain to the manager about how nothing was my size. However, my distaste for the content I was consuming was understood by a force that knows me better than myself; the algorithm.

Suddenly, my "for-you-page" started showing people talking about books I wanted to read, food that I wished I could eat, and trendy videos about clothes that were exactly my style. The thing is that I did not need to speak to the manager because the manager had already followed me around the store, paying close attention to everything I slightly touched, and changed every detail so I could have the perfect customer experience.

Somehow individuals have ended up trapped in a filter bubble, an invisible barrier that supports our current opinions and perspectives to ensure that we enjoy what we see (Farman Street*). Created to be an advertisement system that allows companies to provide information that will cater to our personalities and needs, the filter bubble has become a force of polarization. Surrounded by similar perspectives and ideas, people find themselves comfortable without the need to question or even analyze the data that is being presented. Thus giving rise to a group mentally where everyone within the online community becomes a separate entity from the rest of the world, unable to accept criticism or acknowledge the diversity of each mind.


Within the comfort of these forums, users with specific agendas tend to rise. As Greeks, hiding inside the wooden horse, these forces of chaos are ready to spread misleading content. Most of these users would utilize accurate content from the internet and re-frame it in a way that reflects the narrative they are trying to sell to the public, engendering disinformation. Oblivious people find the post or the image and share it with others, spreading the virus of misinformation throughout the internet. The rise of fake news has made the public panic, creating a mass sentiment of mistrust and discomfort against media outlets. As a result, we have the rise of individuals that actively rebel and question the information being provided by professionals. For instance, the rise of the anti-vax industry. Parents question the medical system, searching for transparency on the topic, in the name of media literacy.


The internet is a fascinating space that allows us to connect with the things that we enjoy, bringing people closer through communities that reflect our interests. The rise of fandom culture is the perfect example. People engage with each other through videos, fanart, memes and forums meant for them to discuss the topic of their interest- anything from K-pop to the latest episode of House of the Dragon. The algorithm understands how meaningful these relationships are for us and takes us to a magical place where we are surrounded by all the things that we love. In this alternate reality, we are acknowledged by people that comprehend our values, people who would never question our beliefs, and people who will only reinforce the information that we already know. Socially, humans must break free from the bubble, encountering different outlets of data that both question and reinforce our beliefs.