If your teen only ever sees TikTok, memes, and videos that agree with what they already believe, they might be stuck in what’s called an “echo chamber.” Social media algorithms are designed to keep kids (and adults!) engaged by showing them more of what they already like — but that can also mean they’re rarely exposed to different points of view. Over time, this can make it harder for them to think critically, have open-minded conversations, or tell the difference between facts and opinions.

Social media platforms are designed to keep users engaged. The average kid isn’t interested in understanding how social media algorithms work. This paired with humans inherit nature to watch content that affirms their biases creates a negative and harmful feedback loop. I myself have ……….as a 20 year old college student. I have been very active in the gym and as someone who started going a lot recently I have been attempting to perfect my workout regimen. Engaging with gym content has increased the amount of gym content I see but the algorithm links liking gym content to being right wing and harmful practices to increase looks which younger people refer to as looksmaxing which is a whole other issue on its own but for the sake of staying on topic looks maxing is a harmful trend of doing everything including harmful practices to your body/face to look your best but in turn it has created a lot of insecurities for young boys. Research from the University of Texas at Austin finds, “social media companies therefore rely on adaptive algorithms to assess our interests and flood us with information that will keep us scrolling.” These algorithms create a feedback loop where users are continuously shown content that reinforces their existing views while being shielded from opposing perspectives. Think about the young boy who sees a Charlie Kirk debate and engages with the content and then all of a sudden is receiving and engaging with extreme right wing content in their feed. This selective exposure to information fosters a “biased, tailored media experience” that contributes to the development of echo chambers.As humans we are programmed to take the easiest path forward and as we age we learn engaging with difficulties is what makes us stronger. A young kid who has not learned these lessons yet is subjected to continued confirmation bias hindering their ability to grow. 

Subhed about echo chambers

A significant consequence of echo chambers is the amplification of confirmation bias, a psychological phenomenon where individuals favor information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs. Social media platforms actively facilitate this bias by connecting users with like-minded individuals and content creating an ideological bubble in which users are rarely exposed to contradictory viewpoints. In turn, they become more entrenched in their beliefs, less willing to engage with alternative perspectives, and more susceptible to misinformation.

Echo chambers don’t just shape opinions — they can also help spread false or harmful information, especially around sensitive topics like race. When kids only hear one side of a story, or keep seeing the same messages over and over from like-minded voices, it’s easy for stereotypes and misinformation to take hold. Some of the most dangerous content spreads this way, reinforcing prejudice and driving people further apart. The Brookings Institution identifies echo chambers as one of the four primary mechanisms through which racist misinformation proliferates on social media, alongside stereotyping, scapegoating, and allegations of reverse racism. That’s why it’s so important to help our kids recognize when they’re in an online bubble — and to teach them how to question what they see and hear.

As part of a two-phase framework, disinformation begins with seeding, where intentional falsehoods are planted, followed by the echoing phase, where participants cocreate the contentious narratives that disseminate disinformation. The second phase of echoing is especially troubling because, as the study argues, “disinformation encourages consumers to use any argumentative means at their disposal to win adversarial narratives, which defy fact-checking because identity cannot be proved wrong”. This resistance to fact-checking is a key feature of how echo chambers protect disinformation.

Moreover, the article explains that this phenomenon is not limited to falsehoods but can also involve “truths, half-truths, and value-laden judgments,” This is especially troubling as kids are not always honest. Kids are less likely to fact check their sources due to confirmation bias and these half truths serve to “exploit and amplify identity-driven controversies”. These complex layers of misinformation contribute to the creation of “adversarial narratives embedded in identity-driven controversies”. The flat Earth example discussed in the study provides a concrete case of how such misinformation circulates within echo chambers. Famous basketball player Kyrie Irving was someone who amplified this myth which kids directly look up to. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary, participants in the flat Earth community reject counter arguments, engaging in “back-and-forth argumentation” that “solidifies viewpoints” and resists fact-checking. Some children might view this as who is a Kyrie supporter and who isn’t verus who is scientifically correct and who is not. 

Furthermore, echo chambers contribute to the marginalization of radical views in traditional media and the rise of extreme ideologies online. Historically, when children would watch the news with their parents the media companies were consolidated around a few powerful outlets, leading to a narrow range of views being represented. While one could argue this suppresses other viewpoints, social media has platformed extremist thinking and disguised it as viewpoints to be accepted. I want to bring this back to the looksmaxing example as we teach our kids to love themselves as they are and social media has platformed a community that will promote steroid to developing teenagers as a way they can get taller and be more attractive.The acceptance of these putrid ideologies paired with echo chambers allow these extremists to disseminate targeted disinformation to audiences predisposed to accept it, fueling polarization and violence.

The spread of hate speech within these echo chambers is another dangerous consequence of their existence. A study analyzing over 32 million posts across multiple social networks found that extremists often dominate these spaces, escalating the diffusion of hate speech. As the study found, “hatemongers often dominate these echo chambers, escalating the diffusion of hate speech and fostering polarized communities.” By isolating users in these ideological silos, echo chambers facilitate the spread of radical and hateful rhetoric that not only reinforces discriminatory beliefs but also escalates the potential for real-world violence. This dynamic creates a dangerous feedback loop, in which online hate speech feeds offline violence, contributing to a cycle of social fragmentation and insecurity.

Echo chambers present a multifaceted problem for our blossoming youth. They create environments where misinformation and disinformation can spread unchecked, where confirmation bias reigns, and where extremist ideologies are allowed to flourish. The impact of echo chambers on children is profound: they perpetuate racism, increase the spread of hate speech, and escalate the potential for violence. This is a major issue as hateful thinking is taught at a young age and our adolescent years are where we learn the most. Addressing this issue is crucial for the health of public discourse and the future of children.