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CIVIX Explains: Algorithms

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

Reviews the concepts of algorithms and filter bubbles, and the business model of online platforms, along with the potential consequences for democracy.
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Video Language:
English
Team:
Amplifying Voices
Project:
CIVIX
Duration:
03:16

English subtitles

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