Ripples of I – Blog 112: Three parallel universes in my pocket

Every Wednesday, I share one article made up of three little ripples: 

Have you ever noticed how the same news story can feel completely different depending on where you see it? Have you ever felt overwhelmed scrolling through multiple feeds and wondered if everyone else is seeing the same world as you? Have you ever realized your social media might be shaping your perspective more than you think? 

One Inspiration 

I created my Facebook profile when I was still in Italy. LinkedIn happened in the UK. Instagram was born in Canada. 

The result? I have three parallel universes living in my phone. 

On Facebook, my network is mostly Italian. 

LinkedIn? Professionally British.  

Instagram? Pure Canadian vibes.  

And because each platform still carries the “flavour” of where I started it, I get VERY different content. 

The same global event shows up in three different emotional tones. Different villains. Different heroes. Different urgency.  

What’s a national obsession in one country is barely a footnote in another. What feels dramatic in one feed is background noise in another. 

Same planet. Different lenses. 

One Insight 

First insight: it’s overwhelming

Scrolling through different feeds feels like standing in three rooms at once, where everyone is convinced that their version of reality is the most urgent and the most important.  

Second insight: it’s revealing

Content is clearly framed by culture, by history, by economics, by collective fears, by what keeps people clicking. 

It also shows how each country (and each algorithm) quietly places itself at the center of the world. And if you only see one feed, it’s easy to believe that this is the full picture. At the same time, seeing multiple feeds shows just how limited any single view really is. 

Third insight: algorithms amplify certainty

The more you engage with a particular perspective, the more it feeds you the same perspective. Slowly, almost invisibly, your world narrows.  

Fourth insight: perspective activates critical thinking

Seeing multiple angles doesn’t automatically give you the “truth.” But it slows you down. It makes you notice differences. It shows that the story is rarely as simple as it first appeared. 

Because if three feeds already show different versions, imagine all the perspectives you’re not even seeing.  Critical thinking is not about following more feeds or collecting more content. It’s about awareness. About noticing that each narrative is shaped. About reminding yourself: you are the master of your attention. You can think. You can question. And you get to decide what matters to you. 

One Invite 

This week, notice your personal algorithm and be curious instead of certain.

When something feels urgent, ask why. When something feels obvious, look again. When something feels triggering, pause. 

You don’t need more content. You need more awareness. 

And that is fully within your control.