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Victoria Tauer

Professor Ferrara

English 1001

26 March 2024

The internet is one of the most complex and significant innovations the world has seen in

generations. What makes this tool so unique is its constant ability to change and adapt to society,

not controlled by programmers, but the algorithm itself. However, the algorithm has no moral

code, and its main objective is not what is good for society as a whole, but what video or text

should it put first that would grasp user attention. It is not about what society needs to hear, but

what individuals want to hear off of their preferences. Democracy is severely damaged by the

creation of these “filter bubbles” silencing diverse viewpoints. Eli Pariser, in the ted talk "Beware

of Online Filter Bubbles”, effectively utilizes rhetoric to persuade the audience of the dangers of

filter bubbles in online content consumption through his tone, appeals and the rhetorical mode,

illustration.

Through Pariser's ted talk he explains how Online "filter bubbles," or individualized

media that prioritizes preferences above important content, are produced by personalized

algorithms. These bubbles restrict people from seeing opposing viewpoints. Pariser highlights

the risk that these bubbles pose to democracy by creating division and limiting intellectual

freedom. By delivering the talk with a passionate yet straightforward tone, Pariser effectively

explains the consequences of filter bubbles, gaining crucial support for change that will lead to a

more intellectual society that fosters a more varied and equitable flow of knowledge. In order to

thoroughly persuade the audience, or individuals interested in technology, of his incentive, it

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was crucial to have a respectful yet urgent tone. Pariser stated “I know that there are a lot of

people here from Facebook and from Google -- Larry and Sergey -- people who have helped

build the Web as it is, and I'm grateful for that. But we really need you to make sure that these

algorithms have encoded in them a sense of the public life, a sense of civic responsibility”

(Pariser, 07:39- 54). By targeting the creators themselves he can directly demand the need for

change, in order for all internet users to have a media space that connects them with the

world and not their own preferences. By addressing the creators with praise, he constructed a

civil environment where these programmers do not feel attacked, then respectfully explains the

faults in the algorithm in order to stimulate change. Throughout the TED talk, Pariser’s

passionate yet controlled tone creates intellectual conditions that help persuade listeners to

reflect on the dangers of a one- sided society. This tone allows the audience to understand the

passions Pariser has for this topic, as he states, “the Internet meant something very different to

me… something that would connect us all together. And I was sure that it was going to be great

for democracy and for our society. But there's this shift in how information is flowing online, and

it's invisible… it could be a real problem” showing his views of how media should connect the

world, not create division. (Pariser, 00:32-55). His concerning tone allows the audience to

understand the severity of these “filter bubbles” and how the internet is going the opposite

direction as its original intention. Through this powerful tone, Parise produces a picture of what

the internet should be versus the reality of the situation, forming a connection with the audience

as listeners began to desire a healthy media that benefits democracy. By using an urgent and

polite tone, Eli Pariser grabs the attention of the audience, effectively showing programmers, and

internet users, the problems the algorithm has produced sparking their desire for change and the

creation of a better world.

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The internet and media have become a huge part of modern society. Not even google can

escape the dangers of the algorithm and the creation of “filter bubbles” that put preferences over

important content. Through the use of appeals, Eli Pariser forms a respectful and credible

connection with the audience where he can spread his message. Eli Pariser is an extremely

credible individual in his field of technology and activism that makes his message trustworthy

and reliable. According the Eli Pariser website, “Eli was named Executive Director of

MoveOn.org, where he led the organization’s opposition to the Iraq war, raised over $120

million from small donors, and helped pioneer the practice of online citizen engagement…

Pariser’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, and WIRED; he

has appeared on World News Tonight, Good Morning America, the Colbert Report, and

many other shows; and he speaks internationally about democracy, media and the Internet”.

(“Eli Pariser.”). His credibility in devoting his career to this specific topic helps build trust with

the audience and persuades his message for his talk has reputation of having integrity. Pariser

also used pathos to play on the audience’s emotions as he states, “the algorithms don't yet have

the kind of embedded ethics that the editors did. So if algorithms are going to curate the world

for us, if they're going to decide what we get to see and what we don't get to see, then we need to

make sure that they're not just keyed to relevance. We need to make sure that they also show us

things that are uncomfortable or challenging or important” (Pariser, 06:22- 44). No one wants to

live in a society where ethics and impartial information is not the top priority of content

consumption. This sparks negative emotions in the audience about the current system in which

they obtain information in their daily lives. By using the personal need for an ethical code in the

algorithms, the message becomes relatable, arousing feelings of nervousness and anxiety that

bring the problem directly to the audience. Pariser also used logic to help inform the audience
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and make his message reasonable, seen as he states, “Even if you're logged out, one engineer told

me, there are 57 signals that Google looks at -- everything from what kind of computer you're on

to what kind of browser you're using to where you're located -- that it uses to personally tailor

your query results”(Pariser, 01:59- 2:14). Pariser used educational and factual data to describe

how algorithmic filtration is constantly active and suppressing certain information based upon

user information. He presented a strong case for the need for action by tying these logical

reasons to practical implications. Pariser inspired the audience to reflect on the significance of

fixing the problem of these "filter bubbles" by appealing his own credibility, the emotions of the

audience, and sense of reason.

Pariser speech was organized through the rhetoric mode, illustration, where the message

was expressed though several examples of the dangers of “filter bubbles”. By giving examples

from everyday occurrences or situations, Pariser further forms a connection with the audience as

the message begins to feel relatable. The examples not only help make understanding these filter

bubbles more comprehensible but makes the message more relevant to all internet users.

Through his own experience on Pariser noticed that “Facebook was looking at which links [he]

clicked on, and it was noticing that, actually, [he] was clicking more on my liberal friends' links

than on [his] conservative friends' links. And without consulting [him] about it, it had edited

them out. They disappeared”. By starting with his own personal experience with “filter bubbles”

Pariser gives the audience a sense of what algorithm filtration is and how dangerous it is. He

continues to display his purpose as he gives another example with two of his friends to make the

experience more widespread. When his friends did the same google search about “Egypt” they

got totally different results on based on what they prefer and their previous searches shown as

Pariser states, “Daniel didn't get anything about the protests in Egypt at all in his first page of
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Google results. Scott's results were full of them. And this was the big story of the day at that

time. That's how different these results are becoming.”. (Pariser, 02:57- 03:06). He continues his

examples by going into modern day sites that incorporate the same filter bubbles. “Yahoo News,

the biggest news site on the Internet, is now personalized -- different people get different things.

Huffington Post, the Washington Post, the New York Times -- all flirting with personalization in

various ways” (Pariser, 03:17- 27). By giving another example of a commonly used website,

Pariser makes the issue of “filter bubbles” a universal issue, affecting all internet users

worldwide. By giving examples from a personal issue then building up to a universal issue, the

audience feels the relatability of how this problem affects their everyday content consumption

and democracy as a whole. If enough listeners feels touched by this problem, a reality without

personalized algorithms can be possible.

Eli Pariser in his Ted talk, "Beware of Online Filter Bubbles," draws attention to the

danger that these bubbles represent to democracy by dividing people and limiting their access to

opposing viewpoints. By raising awareness of the consequences of filter bubbles, he is able to

obtain the necessary backing needed to bring about the kinds of changes that will make society

better-informed, promote a more diverse distribution of information, and protect freedom of

speech in a time when information is controlled mostly controlled by the media. Pariser skillfully

employs rhetoric in his tone, appeals, illustration to highlight the risks associated with filter

bubbles in digital intake to effectively convince the audience that changes are necessary.
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Work Cited

“Eli Pariser.” About, Squarespace, www.elipariser.org/. Accessed 4 Apr. 2024.

Pariser, Eli. “Beware Online ‘Filter Bubbles.’” Eli Pariser: Beware Online “Filter Bubbles” |

TED Talk, www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles/transcript.

Accessed 4 Apr. 2024.