DR.TSUBOKURA'S RADIATION LECTURE VOL.173

Author: Masaharu Tsubokura M.D., PhD.

Editor: Yudai Kaneda

345　 Unwittingly blocking information

18 September 2021

Various media sources have been used to disseminate information about the nuclear accident and radiation. Each form of media, such as television, newspapers, magazines, online publications, and social networking sites, has advantages and disadvantages in terms of information dissemination. It is important to know the characteristics of these media to make sure you are able to interpret the information that is being disseminated and move forward.

　We introduced the echo chamber phenomenon last week as one of the characteristics of the Internet. An echo chamber is a situation in which you hear many of the same things that you utter from all around you, and no one around you seems to have an opinion different from yours.

　Another well-known feature is the phenomenon of the filter bubble. Bubbles are all about katakana, but bubbles are bubbles. On the Internet, based on a user’s search history and other information, search sites provide information that is suited to the user and that the user prefers. This unintentionally blocks (filters) information the user does not want to see, so that the user sees only the information he or she wants to see, as if surrounded by a bubble. It is important to be aware of the possibility that you may not even notice the existence of other opinions.

346　 Information on social networking sites: Who sent it?

25 September 2021

Various media sources have been used to disseminate information about the nuclear accident and radiation. Each form of media, such as television, newspapers, magazines, online publications, and social networking sites, has advantages and disadvantages in terms of information dissemination. It is important to know the characteristics of these media sources to make sure you are able to interpret the information being disseminated and move forward.

　The term “influencer” simply means someone who is famous or influential. You have probably heard of a famous person who comes on TV and introduces his or her hobby, followed by a sell-out of related products at the supermarket. The influence of such people is also significant on the Internet and social networking sites. It is known that information related to radiation within a certain social media site after the earthquake was repeatedly shared by a very limited number of influencers.

　While social networking sites allow us to communicate freely online with anyone in the world, it is also important to note that much of the information to which we are exposed can easily be transmitted by a small percentage of influencers, without our knowledge.

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The Japanese version of the manuscript was originally published in Fukushima Minyu, a local newspaper in Fukushima prefecture, Japan, on 18 and 25 September 2021 were reproduced for MRIC Global under the author's permission.