Information Cocoons And Its Breaking Strategy Based On A Study On The Use Of Mobile News Apps Among College Students

The large-scale use of the Recommended Algorithm in the age of Internet has enhanced the tendency of people to select information content from their own interests and attitudes,and brought about the effect of 'information cocoons' as Sunstein described.In 2017 Peoples Daily has published three commentaries on the drawbacks of Toutiao and other platforms which rely on the Recommended Algorithm.In 2018,Facebook was exposed to data leaks,causing its users to receive 'precise' push news and being manipulated to vote.We need to be alert to the possible negative effects from the Internet and the Recommended algorithm while we are enjoying them.On the one hand,this paper uses a quantitative way to investigate the behavior of college students on the use of mobile news apps to explore their behavior and attitude when receiving recommended-algorithm information,so as to analyze the key factors in the formation process of information cocoons:time,selectivity and algorithmic function.Due to different ways of individual use,theses three factors can enhance the information cocoons and can also produce diminishing effects.On the other hand,the paper makes a qualitative analysis of a series of negative effects caused by information cocoons,which will affect one's perception,conduct and mind-set.Information cocoons ban bring about the imbalance between known and unknown value,the imbalance between the individual and the group's properties,and the imbalance between active and passive's technicality.The strategy of breaking information cocoons is to improve the correspondence between the formation and the influence of information cocoons.According to the different implementation subjects,it is divided into individual breaking strategies(be vigilant with information consumption and pursue information value;take the initiative to approach contacts and create a wide-angle view of cognition;get rid of media dependence and seek for realistic identification),platform breaking strategies(restart the agenda setting and restore the role of gatekeeper;improve corrective techniques and develop humanized recommendation;introduce artificial intelligence and try interactive dialogue)and society breaking strategies(promote literacy education and establish institutional methods;clarify platform responsibilities and monitor the transparency of the algorithm;maintain a sounding position and condense mainstream values).There are nine categories of these three main strategies,and it is believed that the three subjects are needed to break through the information cocoons all together.