Echo chamber

An echo chamber, also known as an ideological echo chamber or a circle jerk/circlejerk in internet slang, or the more longwinded closed ideology echo chamber,What is ... a Closed Ideology Echo Chamber?, Another Angry Voice is a closed ideological system where information, ideas and beliefs supporting its viewpoint are spread around uncritically, while dissenting views are censored and/or ignored. In business-speak, it is known as organizational siloing. Most echo chambers rely on indoctrination and propaganda in order to disseminate information (subtly or otherwise) that will coerce those stuck in the chamber into conformity, as well as preventing them from having the critical thinking skills required to discredit obvious misinformation.
Symptoms of the echo chamber effect include extreme wingnuttery and moonbattery, listening to Alex Icke, and believing everyone who believes something different to you is working for the Illuminati, Reptiloids, and/or an international Jewish conspiracy against the goyim. Other common features of echo chambers include: identification of the enemy and their beliefs (and thus discrediting anything that came from them), cultural tribalism,The echo chamber concept is closely linked to tribalism, however it does not (necessarily) have the morally superior undertones that tribalism has. That being said, the two concepts do often go hand-in-hand, as anyone seeing Facebook comments on a political/religious/similar Facebook page can see for themselves. the targeting of perceived enemies,or even engaging in mass demonstrations of hate, such as the from Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. Although be warned when people bring up Orwell in conversation, as some of the people that Orwell's book influenced would have him turning in his grave right now. and the punishment of heretical thoughts and actions.
==How it works==
Observers of journalism in the mass media describe an echo chamber effect in media discourse. One purveyor of information will make a claim, which many like-minded people then repeat, overhear, and repeat again (often in an exaggerated or otherwise distorted form) until most people assume that some extreme variation of the story is true. 
Participants in online communities often find views similar to their own constantly echoed back to them, which can lead to a significant barrier in critical discourse during online communication. The echo chamber effect may also leave an impact on the recognition of large demographic changes if individuals only visit online communities that reinforce their worldview.
==Examples==
Ideological echo chambers have been around for centuries, and many organised religions have been at the forefront of enforcing these ideologies, with harsh punishments for infidels, apostates, blasphemers and/or heretics who opposed these views. Nowadays, echo chambers impact people's views on a variety of topics, such as history, economics, politics, and are carried out through the media, and increasingly through the Internet via sites such as InfoWars, who are known for promoting almost every conspiracy theory under the sun.
One example of the echo chamber effect in (somewhat) mainstream U.S. politics is with regards to Birtherism, as many people continue to believe Obama is "not a real American", despite all the evidence to the contrary. 
Many users on social networking sites (such as Facebook and Twitter) often live in echo chambers.
==See also==
*Filter bubble
*Groupthink
*Preaching to the choir
*Tribalism
*Walled garden
==External links==
*Description of "Closed Ideology Echo Chamber" by Another Angry Voice, a left wing political blogger.
*Blue Feed, Red Feed - See Liberal Facebook and Conservative Facebook, Side by Side
==Notes==
==References==
Category:politics
Category:Conspiracy theories