#openmindness

[engagepro-social]

The Dark Side of Social Media: Unveiling the Dangers of Homophily

In today's digital age, social media platforms have become integral parts of our lives, connecting us with others around the world. However, amidst the allure of connectivity, there lies a darker side to social media—one that perpetuates homophily, or the tendency for individuals to associate with others who share similar traits or interests. In this blog post, we'll explore the negative aspects of homophily in social media and its potential risks.

Factors Contributing to Homophily:

Homophily, the phenomenon where individuals with similar characteristics are drawn to one another, has long been a subject of study in social network research. As McPherson, Smith-Lovin, and Cook (2001) elucidate, "the idea that similarity breeds connection has been a major theme in research on social networks, both formally and informally, for almost half a century."

The Role of Social Network Services:

In their analysis of social network services, Lee and Ahn (2012) dive into the homophily effect, noting that "individuals with similar characteristics tend to be attracted to one another and form connections." This underscores the pervasive nature of homophily in shaping social interactions online.

Risks of Homophily in Social Media:

While homophily may seem innocuous at first glance, it can exacerbate existing societal divisions and perpetuate echo chambers, where individuals are only exposed to viewpoints that mirror their own. This can lead to polarization, as individuals become increasingly isolated within their ideological bubbles.

Preventing the Negative Effects:

To mitigate the negative effects of homophily, it's crucial to actively seek out diverse perspectives, engage in respectful dialogue with those who hold different viewpoints, and critically evaluate the information we encounter online. By cultivating a sense of curiosity and open-mindedness, we can combat the harmful consequences of homophily in social media.

In conclusion, while social media has the power to connect us in unprecedented ways, we must be cognizant of its potential pitfalls. By understanding and addressing the negative aspects of homophily, we can foster a more inclusive and diverse online community.

References:

Lee, E., & Ahn, J. (2012). An analysis of homophily effect on social network service. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 7235, 245-252.

McPherson, M., Smith-Lovin, L., & Cook, J. M. (2001). Birds of a feather: Homophily in social networks. Annual Review of Sociology, 27(1), 415-444.

[justyumna]

A dare for the next time you’re in a discussion with someone you disagree with: Don’t try to “win.” Don’t try to “convince” anyone of your viewpoint. Don’t score points by mocking them to your peers. Instead try to “lose.” Hear them out. Ask them to convince you and mean it. No one is going to tell your environmentalist friends that you merely asked follow-up questions after your brother made his pro-fracking case.

-The "Other Side" is Not Dumb, Sean Blanda

[in-tenebris-et-in-solitudine]

Master Your Emotions..

[starchild--27]

my mom: you know, i won't mind who you'll end up with, boy or girl or anything else. <3

me: yeah, i know you won't mind. <3

my mom: except for when you'll end with no one at all. <3

my recently as aspec-identifying ass: ... ._.

[littlegeecko]

absolutely no hate to my femboys pals ilove yall sm but sometimes ppl out the loop make me sigh and shake my head

[spaceboxingpsycho]

shoutout to that vampire from midnight mass who just enjoyed larping as religious icon

[hingabee]

sorry to report that the "rude american" stereotype is so so wrong bc i went to the us and the people there were the nicest ive ever met from the 12 foreign countries ive visited in my life

[faunabel]

hey friends... if u have any ita rare pairs

u should tell me about them 💕 i like to hear the peoples thoughts

[determunition]

Why did you make the taller Mycologist such a sexyman only to then deny your followers of such eye candy by never drawing him again 😔

god it's been over a year since i've drawn the mycologists lmao, retyrement or otherwise; i do love the designs i did for them, they're fun :)

that said i don't have too many plans for them in OFH at present, so if you're in the market for taller mycologist thirstposting you'll just have to keep sliding into my askbox lmao

[spunkykirby]

someone did make an interesting point somewhere else

people inflate unrealistic levels of aggression between zhongli and neuvillette on a such personal level when in reality all of the negative projections we're conflating with these two (regarding the dragon-archon clash) would likely be more associated with Ei (or at least at the heightened level powerscalers project on neuvili) 😭

this isn't an Ei hate post, just pointing out her own past mistakes and flaws that would clash with the crying dragon at a higher level than some other archons

[romance-evil-aro]

hey so we took your boyfriend to our secret aromantic lair and um. yeah. he's aromantic now. sorry.

[thenecropolix]

Everyone's always talking about the NSR Megastars being a found family for Yinu, but please consider the same thing for Eve.

DJSS and Neon J are her weird uncles/dads that she can vent to about feelings (forever love that fic by mangenov where Neon calls her Evie that's her cyborg dad); I can especially imagine her ranting to DJSS about people being idiots.

1010, the Sayu crew, and Yinu are like her little siblings; there's this one fic where Eve takes a break from NSR and I really enjoyed how her relationship with 1010 was written and I now subscribe to the headcanon of 1010 being like little kids vying for the attention of an older sibling (the sayu crew and Yinu need no explanation, I think her character could grow from acting as role model to the kids; I adore the thought of her having a soft spot for Remi based on that one illustration someone did of her admiring his work like a proud aunt).

Yinu's mama and Tatiana also need no elaborate explanation, they would absolutely be her role models or at least offer her words of wisdom when it comes to relationships and self-worth. Look me in the eyes: mama offering a shoulder to cry on when she spirals over her previous relationship with Zuke and any other emotional baggage and making sure she's healthy and eating properly but also Tatiana as an older aunt figure that she sees as having her shit together and whom is sternly realistic with her when it comes to life and therefore acts as an anchor for when she flies too close to the sun and—

[girl-of-ink]

Writing about priest seto is so hard bc of the complete tonal shift between the beginning & end of memory world. Post-canon fic necessitates acknowledging the prevailing "seto was a good man who became a good pharaoh" attitude but it feels like such a lie when you were there watching him torture the lower classes for funsies and power and kidnapping his love interest (to put her into his torturing and murdering the lower classes scheme). It's honestly so hard to write abt memory world in general bc of the cognitive dissonance surrounding the entire royal family. Yeah the whole arc is about how bad they suck. But actually monarchy is Good and Seto is the new Pharaoh now 👍 do not question this

[yourlocaldisneyvillain]

it annoys me when people ask me my pronouns. guess! pick some. it's so annoying. if you want me to use this and that for you fine, and if you feel the need to specify. but i don't wanna participate and it annoys me when people are like you HAVE to pick some. what if i don't want to. look at me and see what your instinct tells you lol

[t4tails]

The Riddlebatcat threesome canonically can't happen because Selina would only sleep with Eddie if Bruce was dead *1

*1 : source: Catwoman: Lonely City

they were probably both thinking about batman while they fucked idc he was there in spirit

[paperlovesadness]

Baby Miles needing a role model to help him fight off the toxic masculinity & heteronormativity that he knew he didn't fit into already at that young of an age has got me emotionally WRECKED