Living in a bubble is not singular to public figures like politicians and movie stars. All of us like living in a bubble. We all are rockstars of our lives, having figured out everything. We want to surround ourselves with people with the same political views. If someone gets close to us, our immediate instinct is to influence them to consume our choices in media instead of understanding their natural preferences. I have made these petty mistakes in the past. Earlier, I used to aggressively give song and movie suggestions. Now, I just ask for suggestions and make my recommendations only once when asked for them.
Yes, the aggregate company surrounding us, defines a significant part of our individuality, so we must make good choices of people in our lives. Yes, we must make suggestions to people close to us, especially the constructive ones because those suggestions are important to us and it can make the lives of our loved ones better. What we must not do is create an echo chamber, because its hazards outweigh any benefits.
We don’t ask ourselves why we do it. The simple answer is that we are fond of comfort. There are so many short-term benefits of attaining comfort. If you and I like the same political party’s views, we don’t have to trigger each other with any conflicting views. If you and I like the same kind of movies and songs, we can save each other’s time by listening to and watching the stuff we enjoy. Even if you are making a mistake in your relationship, there is no one to question you.
This is just so comfortable.
The adverse effects, on the other hand, are long-term. You will not learn anything new about the society you live in. You will not discover that song or movie that can be better than even your current favourite film. As you have eliminated all those people whose perspective differs from yours, there will be no one to enhance your arguments and views. In the short run, none of these things will affect you. Eventually, your echo chamber will make you fall over and over at significant points in your life.