IN ISOLATION: Why Do We Need to Break Out?

Arwen Urlanda
Oct 12, 2025
2 min read

When browsing through social media, you may feel like “I’m on the right side of the Internet! These people understand me so well”, because all you see are posts that make you feel that you belong or make you think you are right. Watch out, because that’s not always a “safe space”. It might be a filter bubble.

Do not be conformed by what you see online. Learn to research, verify and openly understand other points of view.

As spiritual educator Lalah Delia once said

It is important that you think for yourself and know how to assess beyond biases. This is a crucial step in taking care of your mental health, especially if you enjoy browsing on social media.

As the name suggests, filter bubbles filter out unwanted content and, similar to a bubble, it keeps us contained and isolated from what is really happening.

For example, Duterte supporters might agree on how the former President handled the pandemic well because all they see were content on the beneficial steps he took during CoViD-19. But that is not completely true due to the several blunders committed during that time. For example, he gave the ‘shoot to kill’ order amid the pandemic while the whole world was suffering from illness. Additionally, he has undermined the impact of CoViD before, stating that there was “nothing really to be extra scared of that coronavirus thing."

It stops us from being intellectual and empathic beings because all we see is content that reaffirms that we are ‘right’. Being exposed to limited information, filter bubbles shape our interpretation of the world and eventually, our actions.

Selective attention on the things you only want to see is not really going to help you in the long run.

HOW DO THEY AFFECT OUR MENTAL HEALTH?

They greatly impact our mindset, and eventually, how we act.
It blurs the line between fact and opinion which can lead to negative consequences.
Filter bubbles make it difficult for people to accept other views on a particular topic, rendering them close-minded.

“But personalization helps cut through content overload and gives viewers what they want!”

True, but nothing in excess is ever good. If the algorithm only shows them what they want to see, they will not be well-informed on other issues or different perspectives. The audience will be isolated from the whole truth. This online manipulation negatively impacts our mental health. DO NOT TAKE MENTAL HEALTH LIGHTLY. Safety first before entertainment.