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Using your fear, hate, and greed for profit is distorting our reality.
At the core, social media algorithms are just a sequence of digital steps used to achieve an outcome, like a mathematical equation. But this simple process has transformed how society functions. Individuals are now inextricably linked to the attributes that algorithms configure from their data patterns. The outputs of algorithms are now pivotal to the decisions we each make everyday both professionally and privately.
For better or worse the majority of the population now perceives the world through the digital prism of tech companies. It is essential to understand that these platforms are not benign. They all operate with one underlying agenda, to increase our engagement, primarily through the user feed. This is because increased user engagement translates to increased profits.
These companies made a crucial change when they put in place algorithms specifically designed for this purpose.
The proposed benefit of the algorithm model was the content moderation of illegal, harmful, or inappropriate material. It also was supposed to increase freedom of speech and decrease the power of the government-regulated, corporate-dominated, gatekeeper media model that controlled and sometimes distorted information. The benefit of the gatekeeper model however, was that some level of human accountability was maintained.
But in the algorithm model, accountability is a catch-22.
During the implementation of these algorithms it was discovered the most effective way to establish and maintain human attention (aka engagement) was to solicit fear, hate, and greed.
So companies artificially created user feeds based on these manufactured drivers rather than on an organically driven set of data points. This is behind the phenomenal explosion of fake news and conspiracy theory over the last decade.
These companies have actively distorted the public’s perceptions on a monumental scale for years. The essential thing to understand about this model is that for a very long time the algorithms have been making the creative determinations, not humans.
To protect their negative solicitation model — fear, hate, greed — these companies shifted the criticism to the human creators, claiming “We are not producers, so we have no responsibility for content.”
Tech platforms and their advocates protest that any impediment to their distribution model obstructs the freedom of speech of human creators. But the reality is that the creative decisions are being made by algorithms, which by design only amplify the “speech” (aka content) that aligns with their engagement agenda — while suppressing others that don’t.
In this situation, the algorithms are actually creating the way a painter chooses the colors to put on the canvas. Algorithms are choosing what is amplified, not humans. However, algorithms are not human, have no accountability, and are not entitled to free speech.
Ironically, according to an established source of fake news, the Heritage Foundation, the cornerstone of all free speech is accountability.
Let’s not even get into the manufactured, agenda driven content created by state and non-state actors with malignant intentions.
Algorithmic amplification and distortion across all industries and governments are silently shaping every aspect of society’s perception, across every facet of our lives.
We need to identify gaps in our understanding of this distortion, as well as codify the principles that govern online speech/content and its amplification. So far there is some random legislation to address the problem. Other more targeted examples can be found here, here, and here.
It is imperative to understand that everything presented via a digital platform is potentially agenda driven and not necessarily based on the organic accumulation of factual data.
You can find a deeper discussion of this issue here and here.
Social Media Should Not Be Gatekeepers
From ProMarket: “Ashutosh Bhagwat argues in new research that expecting social media platforms to serve as gatekeepers for the ‘truth’ flounders on economic, organizational, and democratic grounds. In fact, the end of media gatekeepers and elite control over public discourse may be what is necessary to reinvigorate the marketplace of ideas and reduce political polarization.”
Free Speech on Social Media: The Complete Guide
From the Freedom Forum: “Social media platforms are private companies and are not bound by the First Amendment. In fact, they have their own First Amendment rights. This means they can moderate the content people post on their websites without violating those users’ First Amendment rights. It also means that the government cannot tell social media sites how to moderate content. Many state laws to regulate how social media companies can moderate content have failed on First Amendment grounds.”
The Transformative Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Publishing Industry
The author writes, “In this whitepaper, we explore the substantial advantages AI brings to the publishing sector, along with a nuanced examination of its potential disadvantages, offering a balanced perspective on this evolving landscape.”
Top Social Media Statistics and Trends of 2024
The authors write, “Recent announcements at Google I/O have propelled social media into an even larger share of the web spotlight. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube are poised to become powerful marketing stages for your brand to interact with your audience. And these major changes in search mean it’s now crucial for marketers and small businesses to understand current social media trends and evolving user behaviors on these platforms. Our carefully curated list of 2024 social media statistics provides a vital snapshot of the current social media landscape.”
Key Statistics on Fake News & Misinformation in Media in 2024
From Redline Digital: “This analysis aims to make sense of the so-called ‘infodemic’ by showcasing key data on the sources, spread, and impacts of misinformation in media in 2023. Quantifying the prevalence provides crucial context for tackling this concerning trend.”
Texas Official Indicted, Accused of Making Fake Social Media Posts During Election
The author writes, “The top elected official in a suburban Houston county has been indicted over allegations he created fake and racist social media posts when he ran for re-election in 2022.”
Fake Celebrity Endorsements Become Latest Weapon in Misinformation Wars, Sowing Confusion Ahead of 2024 Election
The author writes, “False claims about the 2024 campaign, and dozens of other posts with similar fake endorsements, have exploded on social media in the run up to the election, according to researchers at the News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan education group that launched a new database Thursday chronicling more than 550 unique instances of election-related misinformation.”
How To Avoid Misinformation, Fake AI Images on X, Tiktok, and Social Media
From The Washington Post: “Anyone with an internet connection can watch breaking news unfold in real time, or at least some version of it. Across social media, posts can fly up faster than most fact-checkers and moderators can handle, and they are often an unpredictable mix of true, fake, out of context and straight propaganda. … The rapid spread of easily accessible AI tools is mudding the waters even further. How do you know what to trust, what not to share and what to flag to tech companies? Here are some basic tools everyone should use when consuming breaking news online.”
