I grew up in a small, conservative, heavily religious town—heavily racist as well. In school, the cafeteria was practically segregated—not by any official rule, but by unspoken norms—where everyone sat in their own groups, often divided by race. I was surrounded by white adults who said all sorts of horrible things about people who weren’t white or who followed different religions. I knew people who believed in and promoted eugenics and teachers who bullied children for having cornrows, braids, or dreads. I was raised in an echo chamber—of course I was racist as a child; I was reprimanded for questioning or exploring other perspectives. But as I grew up, I made friends from many different backgrounds, studied history, and left my home. That distance allowed me to grow into my own person with my own beliefs.

Breaking free from an echo chamber wasn’t easy—I had to make a conscious effort to challenge the beliefs I had been raised with. It meant going against what was expected of me, and I lost many friends in the process. Most of the people I grew up with never expanded their beliefs—people don’t like to go against the grain, especially when it’s all they’ve ever known. Given what I’ve said, you might be tempted to believe that you’ve never been in an echo chamber. But echo chambers come in many different forms—both in what they teach and how they trap people inside them. So today, I want to challenge you: Let’s discuss why you might be in an echo chamber.

As someone who grew up surrounded by rigid, single-minded ideologies, I know echo chambers are more common than people think. But they don’t always revolve around blatant bigotry, and they aren’t always found in families. So, what makes an echo chamber? Well, socially speaking, an echo chamber is essentially a support group that surrounds a person(s) with a particular lifestyle or ideology, disallowing independent thinking, discrediting outside opinions, and discouraging people within the collective from socializing beyond the chamber. The thing about echo chambers is that you typically don’t realize when you’re in one. That’s the “echo”—it surrounds you on all sides until it’s all you can hear. Any light from outside the chamber feels new and scary, so why leave? Why not stay where it’s safe, simple, and where you’re supported? Echo chambers seem appealing when you put it that way.

One of the most common types of echo chambers is the familial and communal kind, which often starts in childhood. This is what I described in my introduction and probably what most people think of when they hear the term “echo chamber.” But these aren’t always built around bigotry—they can center on religion, politics, abuse, or even conspiracy theories. In a familial setting, the home becomes the chamber, with children being born into a strict ideological bubble—now, obviously, not all beliefs that a parent may teach children constitute an echo chamber; it becomes such when the beliefs become aggressive—not allowing for questions, disallowing children from socializing with those outside the belief system, punishment for going against the teachings, or even threats of abandonment or disownment if the child dares to leave or contradict the ideology. These children often grow up to be hostile, absorbing their parents’ own hostility and taking it outside the home. These kids may also be increasingly insecure; after spending their entire lives being told certain ways of living (alternative religions, different political views, LGBT identities, diversity among friends, etc.) are evil or inherently wrong, if the child finds they don’t fit the mold, they may begin to doubt themselves and try to hide their identity or beliefs from their family and peers. This can increase their hostility as they project their own insecurity onto others.

Another form is the infamous high school echo chamber; teen years are hard, we’ve all felt alone, ostracized, or burned out at some point. For some people that means they’ll accept just about anything to feel some sense of community. Now, in the best of scenarios, this can lead to teens forming happy, healthy, supportive relationships and learning that the hardships of adolescence won’t last forever; in the worst scenarios, teens can be roped into harsh echo chambers. These can take many forms, there’s the movie-trope style popularity contest, the conspiracy theory centered cliques, the politically motivated friend groups, the amateur missionaries, and of course, at least a few groups centered around drug use or sometimes other criminal activity. Now, what constitutes these as echo chambers rather than just typical teenage drama is aggressiveness. The popularity contest is all fun and games until someone develops a deadly eating disorder, conspiracy theories are just strange belief systems until there’s students spouting holocaust denial or promoting violence, politically motivated groups are civil until a fist fight breaks out on Election Day (a real thing that happened twice at my middle school, by the way), religion in school is fine until two students can’t even share a class without arguing over their beliefs, drug use is often a carefree activity for teenagers until someone overdoses. Some of these things—political groups, religiously based friendships, and even popularity based competition—can happen in normal, healthy ways in high school but it’s important to be aware of when a candle becomes a house fire. This is the type of echo chamber that many teens won’t even realize they’ve been roped into; sometimes it’s easy to become so desperate for friendship that it seems better to have toxic friends than nobody at all. There are plenty of other forms of high school echo chambers that I haven’t covered, that’s because the object of an echo chamber is not typically what makes it dangerous, it’s the near-cult mindset of the people involved. If you’re in a friend group that centers largely on religion, popularity, politics, or even drug use, I’m not going to insinuate that you’re inherently in an echo chamber; no matter what type of friend group you’re in, ask yourself these two questions: “if I left [shared belief systems] would these people still associate with me?” And “are these people actually my friends whom I associate with by choice, or do I just feel like I have no other options?”

Up to this point, I’ve hinted at echo chambers surrounding politics, conspiracy theories, and religion, but let’s address them in a broader context. I group them together because political, religious, and conspiracy-based echo chambers often go hand in hand. As mentioned before, these can take root in households or school friend groups, but they also prey on people at large—especially the vulnerable: “Feeling lonely as a single man? Log on to our misogynist forum!” “Grieving the death of a loved one? Our doomsday cult promises you’ll see them again real soon!” “Struggling with paranoia? Don’t see a doctor—join our psychics group, where we’ll convince you that you have no mental health issues!” People are drawn into these groups because they offer a sense of exclusivity—the feeling that you’re in on a hidden truth, part of a select few who really understand the world. The idea that there’s a big bad enemy to fight against can make you feel like the star of your own movie, and for people who are vulnerable or lonely, that main character feeling is intoxicating. Many also turn to these communities searching for closure—they want someone to blame their problems on, someone to pray to, or some way to explain the world that makes it feel less chaotic. As before, it’s completely normal to be involved in religion, politics, or even conspiracy theories in some way. But if you’re questioning whether you’ve been drawn into an echo chamber, ask yourself: “Am I willing to engage with other viewpoints without fear?” Hold them up against your own beliefs—as Aristotle said “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it”. And most importantly, if your belief system requires you to ignore science, common sense, or the well-being of yourself and others, it might be time for some introspection.

In the modern day, echo chambers thrive even more online than they do in person. This is because communities that were once small and isolated can now find each other easily, no matter how scattered they are across the world. The internet gives them a shared space—a place to reinforce their beliefs, free from outside scrutiny. It also makes indoctrination easier. An anonymous user can present themselves as anyone—a doctor, a scientist, a former government employee. People can falsify documents, manipulate photos, and now, with the rise of AI, generate convincing images and videos. This is another way echo chambers are formed. Algorithms are designed to keep you engaged for as long as possible, and if conspiracy theories, cult content, or political extremism are what hold your attention, that’s exactly what they’ll feed you. Before you know it, you’ve been dragged headfirst down the rabbit hole and by the time you realize you’re falling, you’re already six feet deep. The solution—at least for now although it may become more complicated as AI evolves—is simple: fact-check everything, look into the credentials of people you’ve never heard of, verify sources, and for the love of god, learn to recognize AI-generated content.

The thing that all these different echo chambers have in common is fear—both in the form of fear-mongering and the fear of abandonment. Fear-mongering is one thing that draws people in and keeps them trapped. These cult-like ideologies tell you that the world is against you, that you’re being lied to, that civilization is on the brink of collapse, or that you’re slowly dying without realizing it. People don’t always fall for this because they’re foolish—they may fall for it because they’re concerned. They want to protect themselves and their loved ones from these perceived threats. And even if they start to doubt, fear keeps them from leaving. “What if I’m wrong? What if leaving puts me or my family in danger?” Echo chambers don’t always stem from ignorance; they can also stem from very real fears. Oftentimes, these fears are valid in some sense; while it may not be true that, for example, the world is literally going to end any day now, there are lots of very real threats to global livelihood such as economic instability and climate change—while there may not be some sort of global government conspiracy to hide the shape of the earth, there are many real reasons why people could mistrust their governments. This is just another way that echo chambers prey on the vulnerable—taking people’s very real concerns and twisting them out of proportion.

Echo chambers also exploit the fear of abandonment, especially for those born into them or who have been involved for a long time. If your entire support system is an echo chamber, and you know that leaving may cost you your reputation, friends, family, or even just your online following, you’re probably less likely to leave when you want to. Many people stay not because they fully believe, but because they know walking away could cost them everything. And for some, the fear goes beyond social exile—it’s the fear of retaliation. This is especially true for children in family-based echo chambers or individuals leaving extreme religious or political groups. Leaving could mean being cut off financially, losing a home, having privileges revoked, or even facing physical abuse. The longer people -particular children- are forced to suppress their true identity or beliefs, the more resentment and distress build. Many cope in unhealthy ways—self-harm, substance abuse, violence, projecting onto others, or other maladaptive behavior. The fear that keeps people trapped doesn’t just harm them in the moment; it can have long-term consequences on their mental health and stability.

From here, it’s worth addressing when fear turns into rage. Many people associate echo chambers with anger, intensity, or even violence, and while there’s a good deal of truth to that, it’s important to understand why. The answer is twofold: fear often manifests as aggression, and the leaders of these groups actively encourage it. Fear is a vulnerable emotion—it forces people to admit that they’re scared and they don’t know what to do. That kind of vulnerability can be unbearable. So instead, fear transforms into something easier to handle: anger. It feels powerful, protective. It convinces people they do have control. This is why members of echo chambers lash out when challenged—it’s not just about defending their beliefs; it’s about defending the fragile sense of security those beliefs provide. Beyond that, we need to consider who truly benefits from echo chambers: extremists, politicians, cult leaders, scammers, and abusers. These people thrive on unwavering devotion, and the best way to maintain it is to stoke fear and incite hostility. They paint the world in black and white, framing dissenters as enemies and turning every disagreement into a battle. They convince their followers that they’re soldiers in a war, that questioning the cause is betrayal, that violence—whether verbal, political, or physical—is justified. And from there, it’s a domino effect. A frightened individual becomes an angry one, an angry individual becomes a radical, and a radical becomes a tool for those in power.

With the rise of social media, AI, and increasing political and religious extremism, echo chambers have become an unavoidable part of modern life. Civil discussions become near impossible and it seems the only option is to avoid certain topics or prepare for battle—family thanksgiving becomes a minefield for some. But beyond personal relationships, this division stifles progress on a larger scale. It’s difficult to move forward when everyone is angry, defensive, and unwilling to engage with perspectives outside their own. We’ve reached a social and political stalemate. I know some people won’t want to hear this, but compromise is a necessary skill. Insisting that every issue is all-or-nothing is toddler-level problem-solving. Sometimes, we have to accept an imperfect reality in order to address immediate problems—only then can we push for further progress. When division runs this deep -both in a political and general sense- in the end, everyone loses.

I’m not here to tell you exactly what you should do with all this information—I’m just an ex-bigot who googled it. But no matter who you are or what you believe, know your own side and be willing to engage with a variety of views, and educate yourself, your family, and your loved ones on the types of echo chambers and the dangers; as the late, great Stephen Hawking said, “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”