Do we trust technology too much...?
Yes, yes, we do.
Image source: sproutsocial
So, do you know how you get all of the recommended feeds, videos, links, stories, etc, on your social media platforms? Well, if you don't, you will know now! We get to thank the concept of "algorithms" used within social media to tailor the content we see to us!
This article found on socialsprouts written by Brent Barnhart states, "Algorithms might seem helpful and mostly harmless to the average social customer, helping sift through content and deliver only “relevant” content rather than random posts." Actually, the fact is that these algorithms are much more complicated to the average consumer while still being "simple" to the people who understand this concept. When people don't know how to use these properly, it can cause trouble. On the bright side, algorithms aren't as scary as we think, despite being "mysterious" to many because it is mainly used for advertising and marketing. How do you think Instagram got you to buy that new pair of Yeezys?
What are social media algorithms?
Socialprout defines social media algorithms as "a way of sorting posts in a users’ feed based on relevancy instead of publish time." Meaning, some posts won't be shared with you, even if they are 2 seconds old, because it does not apply to your specific feed. However, your feed can still share the new posts with you if you have that privacy setting turned off. Each platform will have different ways of changing your feed setting, so be sure to look into those if you are now curious or concerned!
I found it interesting to know that originally, all posts would be in chronological order, so the newest ones post first to see. Since the creation and implementation of these algorithms, social media sites now use the content, you have seen before to find similar content to share with you as a priority. This applies to Facebook and Twitter!
What really intrigued me is the infamous YouTube algorithm. I constantly see videos on my recommended list to watch that may not entirely be related to videos I have watched. It's almost as if I am obligated to watch them since YouTube recommended them to me! So strange...
Image source: sproutsocial
How do algorithms work?
In short, "the function of an algorithm is to deliver relevant content to users." They use machine learning and data to collect and sort information on various social media platforms. Science! Mainly algorithms are used for tailoring the content to people, specifically on their previous activity from searching for products to reading about current events.
Safiya Noble, who has been in advertising and marketing for 15 years, knows about algorithms' business: both on the client-side and agency-side. In the Earwolf Factually! Why Search Engines aren't unbiased podcast, Noble states that her company hired programmers to help with setting up the "clients' products and services to the first page of search engines." It's pretty shocking to see how companies use the science behind algorithms for their gain. The same goes for social media platforms, just not sites like Google when people use it to search for products, services, research, etc...
Should we be mindful of the posts we see appear on our social media feeds?
In this day of age, nothing can really be private on the internet anymore. The reasons why we get attracted to posts and advertisements is because of algorithms. Different people will different answers, depending on what their view is on this concept. Some will say it's not a big deal, that "it catches my attention and has me reading things that interest me or buy products I would like to try" while others say it can be a privacy issue by asking "Why should my private searches and videos I watch be used for other companies to showcase their products or posts to me?"
So the next time you see a Facebook ad for the most comfortable sweat pants ever, is it just a coincidence or did Facebook see you just looking at some on Amazon the other day? Or how about reading the latest update about a product, or current events, from your favorite influencer: are you really following them, or their algorithm?
Image source: Dilbert comics
Algorithms are such a crazy rabbit hole! This is one of those skills that is so desperately needed in education. Most people in general don't understand how these rules can add to our confirmation bias. In terms of YouTube, they have mastered the business model of keeping people on their site longer through their video recommendations. Thanks for a great post on a difficult subject!
ReplyDeleteSylvia,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post this week, and your title is perfect for the topic! When thinking about algorithms, I am reminded that social media really does come down to a certain formula. It's amazing to me that a program like Twitter or Facebook can alter the way I see my friends posts based upon what the algorithm thinks I will prefer. I know in the past when social medias have changed their streams, or algorithms it always causes a big stir amongst users. For instance when Instagram did away with chronological timelines, people were VERY upset. I think it is interesting that social media is the entity that develops our consuming habits, and also the entity that can frustrate us the most about viewing posts. Another thing that came to my mind about this is if you have Tik Tok, you know that large creators are constantly discussing the algorithm and how to do well with it. I find that fascinating! It seems like that may be the one social media which the most original algorithm.
- Amanda