does excessive sources of media and website really lead to the opportunity to be more enlightened,, or just more convicted to our own distortions?

http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2014/may/13/internet-confirmation-bias

At times, we deliberately select our news filters ,

but online material is also filtered implicitly based on what our friends, contacts, or inner circle discuss (as with Facebook or Twitter).

Paul Resnick and colleagues at the University of Michigan's School of Information recently noted that "collectively, these filters will isolate people in information bubbles only partly of their own choosing, and the inaccurate beliefs they form as a result may be difficult to correct."

Ironically, then, the proliferation of search engines, news aggregators and feed-ranking algorithms is more likely to perpetuate ignorance than knowledge.

It would seem that excessive social media use may intensify not only feelings of loneliness, but also ideological isolation.

Consider the case of confirmation biases, a well-known psychological tendency where individuals unconsciously misperceive or distort new information to support their current beliefs or attitudes on a subject.

In the words of Warren Buffett: "What the human being is best at doing is interpreting all new information so that their prior conclusions remain intact."

good point

Similar to the Dunning-Kroger effect

Liberals select sources that reinforce their liberalism.
Conservatives select sources that reinforce their conservatism.
Democrats select pro-Democrat sources.
Republicans select pro-Republican sources

Thankfully, I am a moderate Independent.

"Thankfully, I am a moderate Independent"

Yea, from the Hebei Province of nothern China.

Interesting fact

It's "Dunning-Kruger" and confirmation bias is most certainly not limited to the internet, although I would agree with you that the way the users are tracked(for advertising) most certainly acts more to limit their exposure to new ideas and different points of view than it acts to broaden their thoughts on any given matter...

Feed 'em what we already know that they like, by virtue of a calculus...

However, all that being said, one who seeks to learn new things and the desire to do that comes from deep within one, and no amount of advertising can stop one who knows that when you begin looking at the world differently, it begins to look different.

Those people are few and far between, in my experience...

Hey fam