Humans are social beings by nature and that is one main reason why our race finds social media so compelling. Though platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have started to drive social interactions, they have become avenues to gather news, education, and more.
In 2024, Statista found that around 300.86 million people use social media. The number of users joining these platforms has increased for the ninth consecutive year. At the given rate, the situation may remain the same in the upcoming years.
All of these beloved platforms run on different algorithms. What are these algorithms and are there any pros or cons? In this article, we will discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of social media algorithms.
What Are Algorithms and What Do They Do?
Could we ever imagine that there would come a day when technology would freely interact with humans? Even though we may not have reached that stage yet, much has been accomplished. This can be best understood when we consider the branch of Artificial Intelligence (AI) called Natural Language Processing (NLP).
Through machine learning algorithms, computers can communicate with humans. These algorithms are essentially instructions or rules that are fed into the system. Based on these instructions, the technology will perform a specific task. There may be one or more inputs involved which go through a series of steps to generate a single or multiple outputs.
In terms of social media, these algorithms are data or rules that govern the functioning of the platform. They will determine which content is ranked, how it is filtered, and which posts will be recommended to users. In a nutshell, algorithms have the power to influence social media users’ choices.
The Case for These Rules Governing Social Platforms
In today’s world., social media is not merely a space to connect with one’s social circle. The Pew Research Center found that 54% of social media users also gathered their news information across these platforms. The two main channels used to collect news included YouTube and Facebook.
This only goes on to show the extent to which social media’s algorithmic scope has increased. Let’s look at the top benefits of such coded instructions.
Personalized Content
The primary advantage of social media algorithms is that they deliver personalized content to their users. This is essentially done to keep users engaged so that they spend more time on the platform. So, how do algorithms do this?
The main area of learning includes tracking user behavior. For instance – the technology will closely monitor the online interactions of every user. This would include monitoring likes, comments, subscriptions, and more. This helps in creating a profile of the user’s interests.
Based on the gathered data, posts that match the user’s past interests are displayed. For instance – if the technology detects that a particular user enjoys watching fashion and beauty content, they will be shown more of these in the future.
Moreover, content is recommended based on relevance or what’s trending. This means any posts that rank high across the platform are highly likely to appear on the user’s feed. This is not only preferable but also essential because studies have found that customers expect personalized experiences.
Content Moderation
Another important use of algorithms in social media is in the content moderation process. This has to do with filtering out and blocking inappropriate content from appearing in a user’s feed.
Through the machine learning process, AI algorithms can detect patterns of nudity, hate speech, and violence. When such a tweet or post is identified, it will be immediately flagged as inappropriate.
The analysis process extends to images, text, and videos. Hence, even outside of human moderators, the technology can remove any offensive or illegal content before it reaches a wide user base.
Noise Filter
Studies show that millions of content pieces are generated every minute across various social platforms. For instance – Facebook users share 1.7 million pieces of content every minute. That would amount to billions of posts every day.
Not every post will be relevant for every user. Social media algorithms will act as noise filters, analyzing user interactions and prioritizing content that the individual engages with. This way, the user does not have to deal with a boring feed but may always find something interesting and relevant.
The Dark Side of Social Media Algorithms
Having discussed the many benefits of social media algorithms, now let’s dive into its dark side.
Addiction
The very first problem with social media algorithms is the possibility of addictive behaviors. Studies have found that an average person spends as much as 2 hours and 25 minutes on social media platforms every day. The danger is that up to 10% of such platforms’ users may develop an addiction.
This percentage can go way higher among teenagers. This addiction pattern is also accompanied by anxiety and depression. Among all platforms, Instagram was found to be the worst in terms of mental health.
This is precisely why parents of teenagers have filed Instagram lawsuits against Meta. It has been alleged that victims have developed self-esteem, habits of social comparison, and depression due to addiction.
The primary reason for such lawsuits is the willfully designed algorithms that showcase content that negatively impacts users. According to TruLaw, nearly 41 US states have also filed this lawsuit against Meta.
Several kinds of relief are expected from this lawsuit, including injunctive relief, substantial civil penalties, and increased oversight. So, the situation has come to this point.
Misinformation
Another disadvantage of social media algorithms is the possibility of bias and misinformation. These platforms primarily highlight content that ranks high or receives the most engagement.
As a result, a lot of fake news or conspiracy theories may get circulated. Articles have been published on how social media exploits the way we learn from our peers. This happens because humans are predisposed to social learning and it’s easy to feign prestige on social media.
Privacy Concerns
Time and time again concerns have been raised regarding the way social platforms collect user data. A user loses a certain degree of privacy when these platforms receive information like personal details and browsing habits.
When offered willingly, the consent protects the brand against legal issues. However, the issue is that many users do not even understand the type of data that is being collected. If we’re being honest, most of us do not take the time to read the cookies or terms and conditions page before accepting.
This keeps us oblivious to the potential dangers of giving away the information we just gave consent to. It may lead to manipulation or surveillance.
So we observe that the graph of social media feeds is not a linear one. Back in the initial days, these platforms featured chronological feeds where posts were displayed in the order in which they were posted.
Today, the scenario is completely different as algorithmic feeds have removed the clutter. They have made current user feeds more personalized and relevant. It will remain so only if we’re able to efficiently fight the drawbacks.
