Why we need echo chambers

This is a repost of an essay I wrote on medium a while back. In it, I argue that the emergence of echo chambers is not just unavoidable, but a net positive both for the individual and society at large

It has become common knowledge that one of the bad effects of the internet, if not the worst, is that it enables falsehoods to spread quickly. In some dark corners, so-called “echo chambers”, people are not only eagerly sharing lies with each other, but the truth never manifests at all. In these places, conspiracy theorists and crackpots conspire with …