How to get away from Facebook’s “bubble”

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At this point every user of social networks, in particular Facebook , have noted that issues, people, posts and ideas that usually populate your timeline have something in common. This does not happen for free, there is an algorithm that adjusts the content feed according to the preferences, alignment and behavior of each. If on the one hand this makes it easy for you to read what’s relevant to you – not least because no one has the time or interest to keep track of what thousands of friends and pages share there – on the other hand it also creates so-called “bubbles” of digital reality. And how to escape it? We’ll give you some tips here.

To better illustrate how these spheres can distort their understanding of the world, it is enough to evaluate the last elections, municipal elections in Brazil and national elections in the United States. Many people were shocked by the results of the polls, both with the approval of John Doria Jr., in São Paulo, as the controversial billionaire Donald Trump . After all, “there was no one who showed support for these guys on my timeline.”

And how to build a more comprehensive and close to reality timeline? What are the alternatives for seeking divergent and coherent ideas that can broaden debate and reflection? See also:

1. Set your feed on Facebook

Although you do not have full control of what appears on your Timeline, there is a possibility to better adjust what is displayed there. To select relevant material – and remember that the idea here is to expand horizons and not look for more of it – just click on the “News Feed” settings on the left side of the wheel. There you only change the way you want the content to be displayed.

Another way to avoid the bubble is to change the ad specifications. Just go to the general menu in the upper right hand corner of the page, and disable the items in which the social network chooses advertising based on their interests.

2. Be sure to follow all the people who disagree with you

Differences are essential if we are to create a more comprehensive picture of reality, with more points of view to assess a particular subject. It is not only because you have a well-founded opinion that it is the only correct one and everyone is wrong. Keeping people who do not agree with what you say among your friends can bring more relevant questions than banal responses.

3. Use apps with a variety of publications

Having varied sources of information can help you take on a larger dimension than different people, groups, and institutions think. The Newsstand , since 2013, has become a trusted and diversified way to get news, trivia, articles and other content. Today, more than 100 million people use the app.

The Flipboard  has proved a good choice to custom magazine, with user-selected material. It also features daily editions filled with materials selected by a smart curator, available for desktops and mobile devices.

Already Pinterest  serves as an avalanche of ideas related to your field of interest, always illustrated with good images. The great differential of the social network is that it works well as a file, something that Facebook has difficulty offering.

It is good to remember that all of these alternatives work with “learning machines,” which collect data about their behavior. At some point, it is obvious that they will also offer information limited to their preferences. It is comfortable and welcome, however, do not fall in the same looping algorithm Mark Zuckerberg : rate fondly the suggestions of these apps, it may be that an initially irrelevant issue bring a different angle.

4. Watch out for opinions outside of social networks

Many people think digital environments like Facebook, Twitter , Reddit or any other cluster on the web, reflect their daily lives faithfully. This is an illusion, after all, most people select the best of themselves to show around – often in a makeup.

So listening to what people think about various subjects in live conversations, TV shows, movies, podcasts or radio shows, in a variety of ways, complement the reality cliché that is usually Facebook.

5. Avoid Doubtful Sources

Do you know who does not read, let alone confirm the veracity of the information you share on Mark Zuckerberg’s social network? Do not be that person. Look closely at the address where the material comes from: if the URL has a discrete variation of a popular page (such as www.tecmundos.com.br or www.techmundo.com.br), you can keep the flea behind your ear.

Question when the text abuses adjectives and does not bring many facts, people or institutions that can prove what is written. Before dividing this up with everyone else, read more carefully all the content, instead of seeing only the call of matter.

All these suggestions, coupled with their willingness to expand knowledge and debate and to foster a healthy conversation – accepting that each of us is different and that is cool – can help make the Facebook bubble a richer and more representative place of life. And maybe one day we do not have to flee from any sphere and we can live in several of them, without letting reality go.