Bias on Internet

Bias on Internet is when you use a certain word to search on the internet and you don't get the same results when you use other which is similar to what it is (Schwartz, et al., 2020). There is bias on Google and Wikipedia; these websites are mostly used by people when they want information about something (Schwartz, et al., 2020). Google’s algorithm promotes popularity proxies, which leads to biased search results (Schwartz, et al., 2020). Content created by marginalized individuals or representing marginalized perspectives may be overlooked due to bias (Schwartz, et al., 2020). In my prescribed reader they talked about searching ‘Egypt’ and ‘Cairo’ which shows you different things Egypt shows historical monuments and Cairo shows modern-day city buildings, but they are in the same country which shows that the internet has a bias (Schwartz, et al., 2020). Bias in Wikipedia content standards, contributors must adhere to the organization’s standards when creating or editing articles (Schwartz, et al., 2020). Some standards prevent bias such as not creating biographical entries for oneself or friends (Schwartz, et al., 2020).

 

Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out and interpret information that supports one’s pre-existing beliefs and ideas (Schwartz, et al., 2020, p. 92). Modern power structures depend heavily on information and knowledge to function (Schwartz, et al., 2020, p. 92). Access to information does not always imply fairness and impartiality (Schwartz, et al., 2020, p. 92). If people have access to the Internet, they can use it to voice their opinions, but people in power have more hearsay, and many people struggle to express themselves, and their concerns are often ignored (Schwartz, et al., 2020, p. 92). The Internet has the potential to empower ordinary individuals (Schwartz, et al., 2020, p. 92).