Information silos on social media

What is the information silo? In simple terms, one can call it a phenomenon when the information flow is severely compromised. When there is no exchange of information between different groups, people in a particular group only share and read the information that suits their ideas and biases. The obvious next question will be, is it a bad thing? Well, it depends. If you are part of a study group that wants to focus on just one subject without any distractions, then it can be very useful and necessary to read things only related to that one subject and nothing else. However, if you want to learn about some social, political, or even personal issues, then it is better to read diverse opinions, including the ones that are contrary to your own opinions.

It is now well-established that social media has changed the way people communicate with each other in today's world. Like any other change, it has brought some positive and some negative effects. Social media not only expanded our geographical reach but also allowed us to filter the content. We can now choose to receive only one-sided information. It has allowed us to get connected with people with whom we lost touch due to geographical distance but also allowed us to get distanced from people around us as we get so absorbed into the virtual world that we forget about the real world around us. Also, artificial intelligence has its own bias, based on what we read or which websites we visit, similar content is directed towards us.  The ultimate result, we are fed with the same type of information that caters to our biases and preferences. This has resulted in more polarization among people, the more your own ideas and biases get validated, the more you become averse to other ideas;. The more we see that there are many who approve and agree with our thoughts, we develop more contempt towards people who do not agree and approve of our ideas. It is easy to notice the widening divide between different political ideologies, and reduced tolerance towards dissent. Actually, one can use social media to counter all these things. We can educate about why people support or oppose a particular issue or idea. We can verify the facts easily and debunk the fake news. It must be mentioned that these things are also happening but on a very small scale. Again, it will be wrong to paint the picture that everyone on social media is a victim of an information silo, but this phenomenon is noticeable, there are social and political repercussions of this.

There are some easy steps we can take to avoid the trap of information silo. First, read about other opinions, especially the ones which don't subscribe to your own opinion. Second, read to understand what opponents have to say not just to rebut it. Third, understand the difference between opposition and contempt; assertion and aggression; criticism and insult. And last, be courageous enough to accept that you can be wrong and change if necessary. Please remember that politics is not a game of hate, but a conflict of ideologies and policies, it should remain like that. Hopefully, readers will be alert about information silos on social media and take deliberate steps to avoid it.

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Have fun

When anyone from our home leaves for work or school and says bye to me, I reply, "Have fun" instead of saying "Bye" or "See ya." I didn't realize this for long until Reena brought this to my attention and that made me think why I say that. By saying have fun, I did not mean that don't work hard or don't focus on studies. The general perception about having fun is that people are careless and lose their focus. I definitely did not mean that by "have fun." I meant that go and enjoy your work or study. No doubt, it is important to focus on our work and give our 100%, focus on our studies, and be an attentive student, but if we do that while having fun our performance will be much better and we will not only feel good about what we are doing but also would derive satisfaction and joy from it.

So, why it is important to have fun while doing your work, attending school, or studying. I can provide a very simple rationale: our work or studies including school and college are an integral part of our lives and they also occupy quite a substantial portion of our lives, and if we do not enjoy these activities then imagine spending such a huge chunk of our life in doing things which we dislike. How unhealthy it will be for our mental health. Imagine going to school or college and hating to be there. Imagine going to work only to look forward to the weekend and dislike what we do five days a week. Enjoying our work and studies not only makes us better in our studies or work but also makes our lives more happy and fulfilling. Find what you like and pursue that with all the rigor and passion. Work hard towards what you want. You may or may not achieve it, but at least you will have the satisfaction of a joyful journey. There will be days of struggle and failure, and you will face obstacles that sometimes will look impossible to conquer, but if you like what you do and have fun while doing it that will make that struggle a worthy endeavor to pursue. Remember, if we don't value our talent, if we don't pursue our passion, no one else will. So, my advice to all readers is, to remember that life is very short and unpredictable, so, don't forget to have fun at every stage of your life.

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