"Filter bubbles" are created by a website -- or social media feed -- customize what you are delivered based on your previous searches, location, and clicking history. (For a thought-provoking TED talk delivered by Eli Pariser, see Beware online "filter bubbles.")
See only what you want to see, and nothing else. In many ways this is a good thing. The other perspective, however, is that the personalization results is an "intellectual isolation," the impact of which is starting to show up in the academic literature. A Librarian at the University of Illinois suggests that filter bubbles have the potential to filter search results without being aware that it is taking place; and that "this affects our ability to access, evaluate, and use information."
(Graphic courtesy of Frank Paynter, Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0))
There are ways around filter bubbles. The following are some tips and tricks.
For instructions, visit the University of Illinois' libguide "How to Burst Your Filter Bubble."