No bickering around the Christmas tree! If your family are trapped by their algorithms, here's the way out | Dr Kaitlyn Regehr

"We post about intergenerational debates on politics; stomaching wokeness jokes; and the now near-mythical uncle character the older male holding court at the table exemplified by tweets that go something like: My uncle just went on a 10-minute rant about [insert topic]. The turkey is dry and so is his take. In these situations, many of us are torn between the impulse to call out harmful speech and our (or more often, our mother's) longing for family harmony."

"These micro-yuletide tensions are played out at dinner tables across the country and are indicative of broader cultural and political polarisation. Polarisation is amplified by the social media-driven information silos in which we all now live. This year, rather than suggesting ways to deal with whatever echo chamber your in-laws have found themselves in, I am advocating for a new approach."

"For context, a filter bubble is a concept proposed by the digital activist Eli Pariser. He argues that there is no longer a singular internet but rather as many internets as there are users, as algorithms continue their ever-increasing attempt to personalise our online experience and feed us more relevant content. This means you could be seeing completely different news, ideas, culture and arguably facts from someone sitting next to you on a bus or on your own sofa."

Holiday social media rituals center on posts about intergenerational political clashes, wokeness jokes, and the stereotypical ‘‘uncle’’ whose ranting draws attention. Many people feel torn between calling out harmful speech and preserving family harmony during gatherings. Cultural and political polarisation is intensified by algorithm-driven information silos that personalize content for different users. A more constructive approach focuses on discussing the technological mechanisms that produce segregated and specific pathways rather than debating individual filter bubbles. Filter bubbles result from algorithms personalizing online experiences, producing divergent news, ideas, culture and arguably facts. Social media monetizes attention by selling users’ time to advertisers.

Read at www.theguardian.com