Crossover: 2014

The source of the concept of "information cocoon" is the book "Information Utopia" (2006) written by Sunstein.

Sunstein believes that in information dissemination, people's own information needs are not all-round, and they only pay attention to choosing the information they want or can make them happy.

Over time, the information people come into contact with becomes more and more limited and narrower.

This phenomenon is like the silk spun out by a silkworm, which wraps itself in a dense and dense way, and is finally shackled in the "information cocoon" like a silkworm baby, losing the ability to understand and contact other different things.

At that time, his point of view was only an inference and prediction.

After all, when Sunstein first proposed the "information cocoon room", although people had a certain understanding of algorithms, this understanding was very one-sided.

At least from the current perspective, the understanding of algorithms in information technology at that time was still quite vague.

Especially when people at that time did not realize the power brought by the algorithm at all.

When the algorithm technology gradually matures and becomes the general rule of content distribution.

People are surprised to find that the "information cocoon room" has quietly arrived.

In today's era, all kinds of information are exploding massively.

The massive explosion of information makes the network information extremely rich, which can be described as all-encompassing and everything that one expects to find.

In such an information-rich Internet, people's freedom of receiving information has increased unprecedentedly.

People have a wide range of information products and can choose freely.

Of course, when the user chooses, there are actually countless pairs of "eyes" watching your choice.

And the things that manipulate these eyes are all kinds of recommendation algorithms.

Under the influence of these algorithms, you will find that the pertinence of your push information will be greatly enhanced.

What users have followed and what they are interested in.

The network intelligence system will track calculations and continuously push relevant information for you.

Frankly speaking, the original purpose of this algorithm may not be to block users.

The reason why there is such a push mechanism is to make it easier for people to obtain information.

But on an objective level, this kind of recommendation system also makes it easier for people to lose themselves more and more easily.

Caught in the environment created by the "information cocoon room".

People pay attention to the information they are interested in, and the network intelligence system "monitors" them.

Constant attention to unique and homogeneous dissemination of information.

As a result, people become so preoccupied with their own personal gratification that they are completely indifferent or inattentive to other information.

End users close themselves in a small circle consciously or unconsciously.

In such a small circle, the homogeneous interaction of information will often strengthen their interests and opinions.

And lead to obsession and paranoia about certain things and ideas.

This in turn greatly reduces the possibility of communicating with others and limits the overall perception of the objective world.

Gradually, unknowingly, people fall into the "information cocoon".

All of this sounds incredible.

In such an open space as the Internet.

Instead, will it form a closed "information cocoon room"?
Thinking about it carefully can even make people feel terrified.

But this is the fact, and the signs of the information cocoon room may not be obvious now.

But if it develops as it did in the previous life.

In the next few years, under the careful outline of the algorithm, each software will deliberately recommend the content preferred by the user.

It is common for users to live in their own small world.

But the situation Lin Hui is facing now is very similar to facing an information cocoon.

After all, the main means for Lin Hui to obtain information is to rely on various websites.

However, the information network that you want to get access to on various websites has limitations and even misleading to a certain extent.

Maybe the information that Lin Hui sees is just what the people behind it or the algorithms under various big data want Lin Hui to see?
Compared with the "information cocoon/room" built by algorithms on various social networking sites.

For personal social interaction, "cocoon rooms" similar to those in the information space may also exist.

There is a special term for this kind of thing in the previous life called "social stratosphere".

Behind the idea of ​​"social stratosphere" that looks like "information cocoon/house", there are no technical means such as algorithms and big data.

However, there are still specific reasons for its formation.

According to the conclusions of people in previous lives, the reason for the formation of the "social stratosphere" is nothing more than two factors:
The first major reason is naturally the individual's subjective preference for information;
The second reason is the "social circle" around everyone.

Personal subjective preferences for information are easy to understand.

After all, turnips and vegetables have their own love.

Some people use a certain tone every day, while others are almost insulators of the byte system.

And what does it mean when it comes to the "social circle" around an individual?

As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together, and people are divided into groups.

In the real world, people will always get close to like-minded people consciously or unconsciously, and keep a respectful distance from those who have "three views that do not agree with each other".