Served by biases

Though the technology has made things / opinions / news available and discoverable, however this has resulted in information overload as well. This information overload has made us divide, restructure and focus on what we (as an individual) want to read, know and learn. Look at the image, for example from The Indian Express news site. There are many such examples, where we are served by biased news (in India many people call it paid media). Recently, Network18 group was acquired by Reliance group.

This content customization or focus (in marketing called as targeting) of each one of us is actually alienating us from many realities. Reason for that is – we either do not know what actually happened but are bombarded by the other side with their perspective. In that case responsibility lies with us to know or try to understand what is actually happened. Thanks to the customization and therefore negative information we have already received from our “sources” we do not know what is right and if something is serious. I have been occasionally termed biased when I tried to provide different perspectives. Tough time! one has to live through it.

Take an example of environmental damages. If you followed environmental cause related opinion makers you could know something wrong is happening, but if you are just following weather reports – you would say everything is ok! this year this typhoon, tsunami, hurricane, earthquake happened. Why? Well, have we asked these questions? Can we identify or try to search for the reasons for such changes in environment? Monsoon in India is delayed this year, can we ascertain reasons; and if we can avoid the reasons.

We make our economics / political / national / Environmental opinions based on such biases. Take an example of economics. Capitalists’ project their system is right, socialists (communists) projects wrongs in the capitalists approach and vice versa. Is there a possibility when we think and design something which tries to bring good from different systems? Think, open your mind and look at the bigger picture. Should not we ask ourselves – are we served unbiased information or we are seeing what powerful people want to show us.

Disclaimer – The author has no intentions to tarnish image of Indian Express/Network18. It was the easiest available screenshot for providing author’s perspective.