Do We Actually Have Original Opinions Anymore?

It's easy to believe your opinions are your own; they feel personal. However, they might not be as original as you think. The opinions you believe are personal and independent can be shaped or even created by algorithms, online trends, or the constant repetition of ideas. The rapid and repetitive spread of information on the internet reaches people extremely quickly and heavily influences their thinking. 

People often think they have original ideas or opinions even though they are repeating what they have seen online. The reason they think they are original is that they are not consciously copying these opinions. However, ideas spread extremely quickly online, with some language and phrasing being repeated several times. It is common to see an “unpopular opinion” gain a lot of attention online, as ideas and phrasing are repeated several times in comment sections and posts. When people hear something enough times, they might start to see it as their own thought. 

The content shown to you online is not random or neutral; it is extremely curated specifically for you. Social media platforms track what you like to see, what you watch, and what you interact with. To make sure you remain engaged with the platform, they show more of what they know you like. People's confirmation bias makes it so that they only watch and search for content they agree with. The algorithm creates an echo chamber for each person — people are only exposed to information and opinions that reinforce what they already believe in. Engaging with one video will fill your feed with similar perspectives. Any opposing idea becomes weak and less visible. When content with opposing ideas is pushed to someone, it often includes weak arguments, allowing the person to prove to themselves that they are correct. If you only consume content with  specific opinions, your perspective seems like it is the obvious one. 

Seeing the same idea repeatedly makes it feel true and personal. The human brain is heavily influenced by familiarity; when ideas are repeated several times to you, they feel more valid and more personal. Hearing the same argument from multiple creators, or seeing the same point of view in several videos, shapes your opinion on the topic. Additionally, seeing the same information from more than one place increases its credibility to you. The more people hear something, the less they question its origin. 

Unconsciously adopting others’ opinions is not harmless — it affects people's thinking. It leads to less critical thinking since people don't question ideas and information as much as they should. Opinions on new topics become extremely predictable because every perspective becomes similar, and people are more divided due to echo chambers holding each person in their own bubble. People who didn't fully form their own opinions still defend them strongly. 

Needless to say, not all opinions are constructed or artificial, and even in opinions influenced by the media, people still think independently to some extent. However, it's difficult to separate what you truly think and what you've absorbed, especially with echo chambers that make it seem as though the information was always something you agreed with. 

The opinions people think of as independent thoughts are often influenced by the ideas they are exposed to every day. It is important to question the origin of your opinions. Maybe the issue isn't whether your opinions are original or not, but whether you have taken time to figure out if they are.