信息茧房 The Information Cocoon

我wǒ有yǒu一yí个gè朋友péngyou，最近zuìjìn半bàn年nián每天měitiān都dōu在zài网上wǎngshàng看kàn同tóng一yí类lèi新闻xīnwén。

I have a friend who, for the past six months, has been reading the same kind of news online every single day.

他tā打开dǎkāi手机shǒujī，推荐tuījiàn给gěi他tā的de内容nèiróng永远yǒngyuǎn符合fúhé他tā的de想法xiǎngfǎ。

He opens his phone, and the content recommended to him always matches the way he already thinks.

时间shíjiān长cháng了le，他tā就jiù觉得juéde全quán世界shìjiè的de人rén都dōu跟gēn他tā想xiǎng的de一样yíyàng。

After a while, he came to feel that everyone in the world thinks exactly the way he does.

这zhè种zhǒng情况qíngkuàng有yǒu个gè名字míngzi，叫jiào信息茧房xìnxī jiǎnfáng：我们wǒmen用yòng自己zìjǐ喜欢xǐhuan的de信息xìnxī，一yì层céng一yì层céng地de把bǎ自己zìjǐ包bāo起来qǐlai。

This situation has a name: the information cocoon. Layer by layer, we wrap ourselves up in the information we like.

有意思yǒuyìsi的de是shì，我们wǒmen未必wèibì是shì被bèi别人biéren关guān起来qǐlai的de，恰恰qiàqià是shì自己zìjǐ选xuǎn的de。

The interesting part is that we are not necessarily shut in by other people; it is precisely we ourselves who chose it.

每次měicì我们wǒmen多duō看kàn一yí个gè视频shìpín，机器jīqì就jiù记住jìzhù一yí次cì；久而久之jiǔ'érjiǔzhī，它tā只zhǐ给gěi我们wǒmen看kàn我们wǒmen爱ài看kàn的de东西dōngxi。

Every time we watch one more video, the machine records it once; over time, it shows us only the things we love to watch.

与其yǔqí怪guài软件ruǎnjiàn，不如bùrú问wèn问wèn自己zìjǐ：上次shàng cì认真rènzhēn读dú一yì篇piān不同bùtóng意见yìjiàn的de文章wénzhāng，是shì什么shénme时候shíhou？

Rather than blaming the app, we might as well ask ourselves: when was the last time we carefully read an article we disagreed with?

我wǒ试shì过guo一yí个gè办法bànfǎ：每měi周zhōu专门zhuānmén关注guānzhù三sān个gè跟gēn我wǒ观点guāndiǎn相反xiāngfǎn的de作者zuòzhě。

I tried a method: every week I deliberately follow three writers whose views are the opposite of mine.

说实话shuō shíhuà，读dú的de时候shíhou很hěn难受nánshòu，可是kěshì难受nánshòu之后zhīhòu，我wǒ发现fāxiàn自己zìjǐ的de想法xiǎngfǎ反而fǎn'ér更gèng清楚qīngchu了le。

Honestly, it feels unpleasant while I read; but after the discomfort, I find that my own thinking has actually become clearer.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

信息茧房xìnxī jiǎnfánginformation cocoon; filter bubble

推荐tuījiànto recommend

未必wèibìnot necessarily

恰恰qiàqiàprecisely; exactly

观点guāndiǎnviewpoint; opinion

久而久之jiǔ'érjiǔzhīover time; as time goes by

与其…不如… — rather than A, better to B

与其 introduces a rejected option and 不如 gives the better one: 与其怪软件，不如问问自己。

与其在家抱怨，不如出去走走。 — Rather than complaining at home, you may as well go out for a walk.

未必 — not necessarily

未必 softly denies an assumption, weaker than 不 or 没有: 我们未必是被别人关起来的。

价格贵的东西未必好用。 — Expensive things are not necessarily easy to use.

恰恰 — precisely; it is exactly…

恰恰 stresses that the truth is exactly the surprising one: 恰恰是自己选的。

他担心的恰恰是我担心的。 — What he worries about is exactly what I worry about.

1. Why does the friend feel that everyone thinks like him?

2. What method did the writer try?

3. How does the writer feel about reading opposing opinions?