The echo chamber phenomenon is something easily witnessed on Twitter, where the voices users hear loudest are those in their own curated timelines — usually people with similar worldviews and opinions.
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But a Brisbane Twitter account is helping change that.
Every Monday, an announcement is tweeted out from the @WeAreBrisbane Twitter account, introducing a new voice to its 3400 followers.
For a full week, a different Brisbane resident volunteers to take over the account, tweeting out who they are, what they think, and what they have to say.
The result is an eclectic, diverse and occasionally politically incorrect mix of voices telling stories that many of the account's followers might not have otherwise heard.
Now four years old, the account was started by a former Brisbane resident, now living in Adelaide, Kelly Wong.
Ms Wong said the idea for the account came from seeing the success of other "rotation curation" accounts.
"Within my own Twitter networks, I could see people kept to their own social circles," she said.
"I love the idea of rotation curation accounts — they expose people to others who they might have never found otherwise. They provide a platform for voices who may not be heard otherwise.
"Brisbane has a strong community and it felt like it just needed to be brought together."
Ms Wong started @WeAreBrisbane in 2014, and since then has announced a new curator every Monday and farewelled the previous.
Some of the highlights, she said, included featuring a science-focused collection of curators each year during National Science Week.
"Instead of weekly rotation, every day for a week there is a new person who works in STEM," she said.
"Past curators have talked about positive the experience is. I think a lot of people are intimidated by the idea of curating but it's really not that scary at all.
"It makes me really happy that people feel it's a relatively safe space to share to a wider/new audience."
The @WeAreBrisbane account joins other increasingly well-known rotation curator accounts, such as @IndigenousX, curated by Luke Pearson, which highlights Indigenous voices on a wide range of topics, and @RealScientists, hosting different scientists, writers and communicators each week.
Diversity is a key theme of the Brisbane account, with Ms Wong hoping to find more voices to join in the ongoing conversation being held about the city and Queensland life.
Sometimes a curator tweets something that generates more interest, such as one photo posted by a curator of heart-warming graffiti spotted on a Brisbane street ad.
The photo quickly went viral on social media.
Another popular thread was one by a curator who tweeted out surprising and unknown facts about Brisbane suburbs.
Noting the increasing problem with Twitter trolls and the challenges of anonymity on social media, Ms Wong said while Twitter was not always a positive experience, overall she thought the social media giant had helped change how people communicated for the better.
"Being open and hearing from all sorts of people is one of the best things about Twitter," she said.
"Some of my favourite moments have just been people genuinely forming online friendships. Or having people aware like public issues like mobility and accessibility, from having people who have disabilities.
"I love that the account can be used to give a voice to people and I think it's a powerful thing.
"A lot of people don't think they're interesting but I think everyone has something to offer."
