The algorithm on social media has only enhanced our biases on specific issues.

To deliver the most popular contents, various media platforms have come up with their algorithms to “increase” user experience. As a result, people are less likely to be exposed to information that contradicts their world view. Gradually, people will become more absorbed into their own opinions, while feeling well informed at the same time due to the amount of information they are exposed to daily. The concept of confirmation bias can best describe this situation. As a result of delivering feeds that only "relevant" to the user, people only look for information that confirms their preconceived ideas.

At the same time, numerous sources are not published by credible authors, which essentially reduces the ability of critical thinking on individuals who are absorbed into their circle of social media. According to the article "This is Exactly How Social Media Algorithms Work Today," we can see that most of the media platforms are using "relevance" as a standardized metric. The way that algorithm defines "relevance" is based on the history of our search bars and what we browsed in the past. While doing so may provide temporary satisfying experiences, it ultimately prevents people from looking at an issue at a different perspective. Over time, individuals may have the illusion that they have a clear sense of the outside world and people around when it is merely a result of careful selection of the news feed and confirmation bias at work. Thus, it's important to look at multiple aspects of an issue before forming a conclusion.

Another way to become more informed on a specific issue is to use various media platforms to acquire information. Since each platform might give us a different perspective on the same topic, we are more likely to arrive at a conclusion or form an opinion that is the most accurate.

Academic Source:

Harrison, Guy P. Think before You like: Social Media's Effect on the Brain and the Tools You Need to Navigate Your Newsfeed. Prometheus Books, 2017.

Summary: This book talks about how social media reinforces our biases by only feeding us with information that suits our world view through an advanced algorithm serving as a filter. In addition, the author talks about the psychological effect behind being addicted to social media, which is having a tremendous impact on our daily lives.

Popular Source:

“This Is Exactly How Social Media Algorithms Work Today.” The Content Standard by Skyword, 3 May 2018, www.skyword.com/contentstandard/marketing/this-is-exactly-how-social-media-algorithms-work-today/.

Summary: This article talks about how most social media platforms are filtering out contents that do not match our behaviors, while only delivering news feed that is "relevant" to us. Before the implementation of such an algorithm, the news feed that we get on social media is in chronological order, meaning that the latest post will show up first on the platform. However, delivering the latest news might not satisfy what customers want. Thus the new algorithm serves as a filter that only present “relevant” information to the user. For the company, this algorithm will increase revenue since it increases user experience.