Thread by @WIRED

Thanks to confirmation bias and powerful algorithms, social platforms often amplify the voices we agree with most. Over time, this creates echo chambers, which can deepen societal divisions to a dangerous degree.

Here’s how to break out of yours 1/ wired.trib.al/xxZNC22

“Like” everything.

Algorithms can’t categorize you if they can’t determine what you really like. Be generous and you’ll be rewarded with something beyond grateful friends who are glad you noticed their posts 2/

Actively cultivate prestige media on all sides.

To avoid trolls, follow prestige publications across the political spectrum. A profile searching for ‘The National Review’ and ‘The New Yorker’ means you’ll keep your newsfeed clear of the most polarizing stories 3/

Pay attention to the amount of followers the people you follow have.

Research shows that individuals who have a large disparity in their follower/ following ratio tend to acquire outsized influence. Be cognizant of these accounts, and don’t be afraid to mute them 4/

Change feeds to focus on recency rather than personalization.

Platforms tend to bury this feature in the settings, but changing it is worth the effort. Doing so takes back some power from the algorithm and might show you posts from accounts you haven’t seen in years 5/

Create space for new voices.

To really start to see changes in your feed, consider temporarily muting celebrities whose accounts share your perspectives to make room for different voices to appear 6/

Research has shown that “balanced” feeds can cause a positive effect that cascades through social media. By breaking out of your echo chamber, you're also building an environment that makes it possible for others to achieve the same result 7/ wired.trib.al/xxZNC22