Eli Pariser, author of “The Filter Bubble,” provides insight into how the personalized web shapes our identity. He argues that what is good for consumers is not necessarily good for citizens (18). The Internet gives us the answers to our questions, but maybe that's the problem. Today we live in a filter bubble that is “fundamentally changing the way we encounter ideas and information” (9). On December 4, 2009, the era of personalization began; our computer screens have become two-way mirrors reflecting consumer interests (3). We assume that when we search for a term on Google, we see all the same results, but the algorithm suggests what is best for you (2). Our behavior has become a commodity to be bought and sold where each click signal sends a stream of information that is auctioned off to the highest bidder (7). Therefore, the Internet is masked as a democratic public sphere that strategically tailors our search results to thereby limit an individual's access to information. Throughout the novel, I critically reflected on my past experiences with personalization on Google and Facebook. I was already aware of cookies on my browser and so it is no coincidence that I see advertisements that are familiar to me. In a competitive market, York University is also committed to this by staying up to date with its social media channels. For example, York's catchphrase "it's my time" appears frequently when streaming YouTube videos. They have access to my information because I regularly log into the York website on my student account. If I look at the far right corner of my Facebook feed right now, there are ads ranging from Indigo, KISS 92.5 and Sports Chek; information based on sponsorship, audience, location...... middle of paper ...... made invisible to the public domain. A democracy requires seeing things from someone else's point of view, but we are mostly locked in our own bubbles (5). The 21st century has given rise to a fast-paced economy where consumers want everything to be clear and simple. Will knowing about the filter bubble prevent me from using the Internet for social networking, education or entertainment purposes? Certainly not, which shows how dependent we are on technology. Sociologist Danah Boyd states: “If we are not careful, we will develop the psychological equivalent of obesity” (14, Pariser). The future looks bleak and I fear for the children who were exposed to the Internet during previous changes. Our knowledge is often distorted and comes to us second-hand, manipulated and filtered through the media prism under the control of other human beings..