-
Before the rise of the internet everyone saw
more or less the same news. It came from TV,
-
radio, and newspapers. The gatekeepers
of information were people,
-
with editors reviewing all the possible news
and deciding what the public should see.
-
Today. traditional news organizations are
joined by countless other sources online
-
and on the internet it is often computer
programs that decide what people should see.
-
When you search the web or visit a social media
site, there's so much content available that
-
a system is needed to filter the results
to predict what a user will want to see.
-
Online platforms use algorithms. An
algorithm is a set of instructions
-
that tells a computer how to perform certain
tasks such as how to sort information.
-
Algorithms determine what content to show
you based on a combination of what is popular
-
and what they know about
your attitudes and interests.
-
When you create a social media account you likely
provide some basic information such as your name,
-
gender, and age. You might share other information
without even realizing it. Each time you like,
-
share, or comment on a post that information is
stored and used to build a profile of you. On
-
the broader web, most of the actions you take are
tracked and accessible by social media algorithms.
-
It may come as a surprise how much an algorithm
can learn about you through your actions. This
-
data you leave behind is valuable because online
platforms make money by selling advertising.
-
Advertisers will pay to reach the people most
likely to be interested in their message.
-
The more a platform knows about you, the more
effectively it can target you with personalized
-
content and ads. Algorithms may encourage you to
keep clicking scrolling or watching by displaying
-
content that is popular interesting or new
because the goal is to hold your attention.
-
Algorithms can favor content that is
sensational, false, or misleading.
-
There are times when algorithms can
be helpful, for example, when a music
-
streaming service suggests a new song based
on what you've listened to before. But when
-
algorithms determine the news or information we
see the consequences may be more significant.
-
When information is personalized just for us we
can end up in filter bubbles. Filter bubbles form
-
when we are shown only information we are likely
to agree with. Being in a filter bubble can cause
-
us to become less accepting of views that are
different from our own. This can have a negative
-
effect on democracy which requires citizens to
listen to one another and find common ground.
-
Understanding why we see what we see
online can help us to be more critical
-
consumers of information. Our feeds never
give us the whole picture so we need to
-
build the habit of seeking out news and
information from a variety of sources.
Amplifying Voices
