The Most Likely Machine
Create your own algorithm and explore its impact through Most Likely Machine.
What is an algorithm?
You may have heard of "the algorithm" on a social media platform. Basically, when we think about the value of information, web algorithms are sets of rules that determine what content is shown to you. Algorithms are very complex and, in order to prevent abuse, companies don't share exactly how their algorithm works.
Search engines, like Google, aren't neutral or unbiased. They use information like your location, the terms you use to search, your age, and other personal information to decide what to show you and in what order.
Social media sites, like YouTube or Instagram, want you to stay on their platform for as long as possible so they can make money from advertisements. They use information like which accounts you follow, how long you watch certain content, and your location to try and show you content you're likely to be interested in.
Filter Bubbles
Filter bubbles result from these algorithmically-personalized online environments. Since algorithms prioritize content based on a user's past behavior, they show you content similar to what you already like or interact with. This is an attempt to keep you engaged with the platform and limits your exposure to differing perspectives or information outside your established interests.
For example...
Music recommendations: If you primarily listen to pop music on Spotify, you might only be recommended similar pop artists or genres, causing you to miss out on indie music you might like.
Fitness: If you only watch yoga videos on YouTube and never seek out other types of fitness content, you might never see weightlifting videos that you would otherwise enjoy.
Two methods of limiting the influence of algorithms filtering the information you see online are 1.) better protecting your digital privacy to reduce the amount of personal information shared with online platforms and 2.) critically evaluating information sources.
Further Reading
- "So You Want to Escape the Algorithm" by Elan Ullendorff"If I linger on this video of a power wash too long will I be confused for a power washing enthusiast? Did I buy that skirt because it suits my form of self expression, or because I was manipulated by effective ad targeting? Do I actually believe what I believe? Or am I just a product of what platforms show me?"
- Algorithmic Manipulation: How social media platforms exploit student vulnerabilitiesFrom Yale News, article focusing on the negative impacts of social media on the mental health of college students.
- Social Media + SocietySocial Media + Society is a peer-reviewed, open access journal that focuses on advancing the understanding of social media and its impact on societies past, present and future.
Controversial encounters in the age of algorithms : how digital technologies are stifling public debate and what to do about it by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781529238365Publication Date: 2024-11-27How can we have meaningful public conversations in the algorithmic age? This book explores how digital technologies shape our opinions and interactions, often in ways that limit our exposure to diverse perspectives and fuel polarization.
