-
(music)
-
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
