Beware Online “Filter Bubbles”

Come up with a phrase that is timely and perhaps controversial and then conduct some original research in order to determine whether you are living within the filter bubble to which Eli Pariser refers in his talk. Please follow these steps:

1.   Select a search phrase

2.   Select 3 people who have varying demographic characteristics (age, race, gender, political affiliation, etc) and an active Google account (perhaps your mom, co-worker, friend). Remember that each person needs their own log-in to Google.

3.   Provide these research subjects with the following set of instructions:

o    Log into your Google account (usually via gmail)

o    Conduct a Google search on the phrase you have been given

o    Take a screen shot of the first page of results

o    Send this screen shot to the researcher along with your first name and basic demographic data all within a single file.

4.   Complete step #3 yourself.

5.   Compile all the results in an Excel file and then create a summary table of yourself and your respondents by demographic details. You will include this table in #6.

6.   Write a 2-3 paragraph interpretation of your findings in MS Word. For example, what are you able to say about filtering given the results that were received? Are there results everyone received? Why might person “X” have been the only one to receive “Y” search result? You should find it challenging to limit your comments to 2-3 paragraphs. Support your findings with the Excel table (use print screen and crop to cut and paste). There will likely be a lot of analysis that can be done. It will also be very easy for me to spot cursory effort.