august 2026
Filter Bubbles or Manipulation
Through Cultural Division
In an information-overloaded world, a simple way to capture attention is by appealing to strong emotions and a sense of belonging. Filter bubbles (echo chambers) have become a subtle tool for polarization, often used as a strategy to distract from major social issues.
The internet provides us with weekly (or even daily) opportunities to understand how this mechanism works. A recent and highly visible example was the false dilemma between the cheese pastry (merdeneaua) from Patiseria Amzei and the croissant from Mița Biciclista, which split the Romanian internet over the past few days.
Gastronomic Symbol or Cultural "War"?
At first glance, the feud between the merdenea and the croissant seems like a simple culinary preference or an urban satire targeting certain lifestyles. On a deeper level, the way this debate was “packaged” exploited a core psychological impulse: the need for identity-based boundaries. Specifically, two seemingly different symbols created two distinct identities: bubble A, where merdeneaua suddenly became the symbol of “authenticity,” youth memories, and pragmatism and bubble B, where the croissant has become a symbol of “refinement,” cosmopolitan openness or even aspirational status.
The moment the algorithm notices that a user responds more strongly to one category, systematic feeding begins. The filter bubble delivers content that validates the superiority of their choice: ironies, memes, and sarcasm about “hipsters” or, conversely, about a “lack of taste.”
Why Does Polarization Work?
Manipulation through polarization aims to create tribes rather than convince anyone of a factual truth. Once people are divided into camps arguing over minor topics, two major side effects emerge. One is cognitive fatigue and lowering the stakes: critical energy is drained by sterile debates on lifestyles, clothing, or consumption, instead of being directed toward relevant societal topics (institutional transparency, education, etc.)ș the other is the algorithmic amplification: negative emotions (anger, sarcasm, condescension) generate the highest engagement. A heated debate over an identity symbol will always drown out a lucid analysis of a systemic problem.
And a divided public is easier to maneuver and far less attentive to the real agenda.
What Do We Learn at Media Literacy Workshops?
For parents, the goal is to help children and young people build a mental safety net when scrolling through social media. Developing critical thinking in the digital world begins by noticing when we are tempted to join a camp simply because certain emotional buttons were pushed. Just as neither the merdenea nor the croissant cancels out our identity or sense of belonging, both can peacefully coexist in the same space without the need for an algorithmically driven wall between them.
Reshaping the Narrative
We’re here in an attempt to adapt, whenever possible, the relationship we have with our screens. It’s actually trying to shift from being only a variable of the digital economy to partially becoming an architect of your own experience. By treating our attention as a valuable asset rather than a renewable resource, we move towards a life where technology fuels our curiosity and adaptive skills without compromising our inner peace.