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

Grammar note 语法点

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.

Check yourself 小测验

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?

After this reading

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.

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信息茧房Xìnxī jiǎnfángThe Information Cocoon

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

More HSK 5 reading practice