網路同溫層(Echo chamber)

由於常常在網路上看鄉民吵架和筆戰，很好奇為什麼有些族群老是抱著奇怪的成見不放和對於證據或反駁視而不見，所以碩士論文寫了關於網路同溫層(Echo chamber)和同質性/異質性(homophily/heterophily)的討論，希望我能把這篇文章翻譯出來，分享給大家。

先貼一下我的論文簡介：

Homophily and heterophily refer to ubiquitous concepts; the former explains the tendency of interaction within groups whose members are similar to each other, and the latter indicates the interaction between external groups, the attributes of which are dissimilar This research and practice intent to seek a deeper understanding of these phenomena and their further effects on society.

Echo chamber, originally a term from acoustics, refers to an enclosed space where voice is echoed or amplified. It has been appropriated by new media studies as a metaphor to describe how people reinforce their existing beliefs or knowledge by responding to people with similar beliefs. In short, the echo chamber represents the homophilous group. The consequences of the echo chamber effect are not only the tendency toward homophily but also conservative media and confirmation bias, the defaults of new media which allow users to block other users who share opposing values and choose content which matches their beliefs; psychological bias describes those who tend to seek evidence that supports their ideas, neglecting other possible answers. A multitude of research concerns the negative effects of the echo chamber, especially in political and societal fields. Users of social media share their opinions and discuss issues online. Ideally, the accessibility of the Internet allows these interactions to benefit the “public sphere”, where people exchange ideas with each other and gain sufficient information from opponent groups, enabling them to judge public issues and make the best decision. However, the echo chamber effect describes the opposite phenomenon in which people do share and discuss their ideas through social media online but within homophilous groups.

Heterophily, in contrast, is the opposite effect: it describes interaction between dissimilar people, which promotes information diffusion and yields more job opportunities. The drawback of heterophily is that it reveals the cognitive dissonance due to an individual’s isolation in the heterophilous group. Similarly, although the echo chamber effect brings negative results, homophily contributes positive consequences, such as emotional support and effective communication. For these reasons, comparisons between homophily and heterophily are not black or white. As such, in this paper we do not advocate either but instead clarify the advantages and disadvantages of each and offer readers reflection on these issues. Following the above concept, in this research we adopt the cultural probe as our research method from which we seek insight from participants’ past and daily experiences. Furthermore, the design concept emphasises gaining awareness and reflection of the characteristics of homophily and heterophily, both of which have strengths and weaknesses.