Ethical Considerations in Echo Chambers: Why Personal agency and Character Matter

We argue that many adults enter echo chambers with pre-existing beliefs, motivations, and character traits – and with a degree of personal agency – doing so of their own free will. This is an important ethical consideration when seeking to influence people’s world views. We consider echo chambers to be neither inherently positive nor negative; the outcome – whether beneficial, harm ful, or neutral to the individual or society at large, depends on how participants engage with them.