This article explores the impact of social media algorithms on our perception of reality. It argues that personalized feeds, driven by data and user preferences, create isolated information bubbles, leading to a lack of exposure to diverse viewpoints.
Most social media platforms are heavily driven by algorithms. The algorithms determine what content users see on their feeds based on various factors like user preferences, interactions, and trending topics. I’ve had an Instagram account since April 2014, which means I’ve been on social media for over half of my life. It’s hard to remember my life without social media in some form.
These parallel worlds don’t always conflict. Your feed of cat videos can coexist with my feed of technology reviews just fine. But it’s only a matter of time until your Charlie Kirk soundbites meet my Pod Save America clips, and that’s where the storm starts to brew. Just as every person and their habits are unique, everybody’s algorithm is unique. In many ways, this mirrors our physical lives. You and I have different interests, so we seek out information from different people.
We know that social media is related to this difference because of the stark contrast between social and traditional media responses.I’m not arguing social media companies are intentionally supporting murder. But I do think this is a clear symptom of the growing divide social media causes. So what can we do?
Social Media Algorithms Information Bubbles Polarization Digital Divide
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