How social media algorithms are manipulating people without letting them know
What are social media and algorithm
According to Wikipedia, Social media is an interactive technology that facilitates the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks.
As per Oxford dictionaries, An Algorithm is “A process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer”. In layman's terms, It is a set of guidelines to perform a task. A simple example is a Recipe to cook a dish. But is that how it works in reality?
Algorithms became part of everyone’s life and go unnoticed by a large population. If you use Social Media or Map or a web page, then you are using an algorithm that works in the background without even noticing.
How Social Media Algorithm is manipulating
The algorithm used in Social Media recommends the content which is shown in your feeds. It even decides what time the content will be shown. Social Media companies stores your interest, searched content, and/or where you go and are not limited to what you shop for, Which political party you support, Which sports team you support, etc.
These are all inputs for the algorithm to recommend the content.
A question will be hovering in your mind after reading the above lines, How does it manipulate you because it’s using the algorithm for recommending the contenting based on your liking. But that’s not how easy it is to understand.
Social Media is recommending content that it thinks you may be interested in not what you may want to see.
These algorithms are easily manipulatable. Bots are used to spread misinformation and amplify a narrative or dissent. Governments, public relations firms, and political parties are producing misinformation on an industrial scale.
How is it dangerous?
As a human, we have the nature to agree to a point that supports our existing beliefs and we reject the one that does not support our beliefs. This is where these social media algorithm keeps you confined to only one perspective. This is called an echo chamber where only the contents are based on your likes, People who have likes matching with your interest, and hence your online neighborhood is not so diverse.
For example, if we as a citizen of a country support a political party or a leader then these social media will feed us content that shows good things about the same political party, which leads us to believe in everything they do rather than questioning them or looking from other perspectives. They also employ PR teams, Bots to spread misinformation.
This is dangerous to ourselves and also to a democratic country. Oxford Internet Institute has conducted a survey that shows at least 70 countries are using computational propaganda to manipulate public opinion.
Go through the below article to know more about it: https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/news-events/news/use-of-social-media-to-manipulate-public-opinion-now-a-global-problem-says-new-report/
What we need to do to protect ourselves from this social media manipulation:
- Before creating any opinion on any content, make sure to verify the source of information.
- Minimize personal information on social media.
- Limit social media use.
- Always think from other perspectives.
By having the right information we can avoid these manipulations and live a happy life.
Thanks for Reading, Please let me know your thoughts in the comment section
— Santan Barnwal
