Algorithms are comprised of a formula. The idea of an algorithm in terms of social media, is the way your feed on twitter, instagram, etc. is formatted based on what you search on Google. They are set of steps to accomplish a task. Challenges posed by algorithms are that we get a filter bubble. With filter bubbles, can miss out on what else is happening by only seeing things that are relative towards our interests. Algorithms are created by humans. Technology is like the brain, it has connections, feeds off of what people do, and reflects the public opinion of society. The problem lies with the people who built it and constantly feed into that site everyday.
When scrolling through your feed on any social media network, you are likely to come across ads for products, places, events, that you have previously google searched or even simply texted about. Facebook keeps up with the personal engagements you have with posts by friends and brand pages. The Facebook News Feed algorithm also predicts what you want to see based on those past interactions with friends or brands. Many believe this is an invasion of privacy as they feel they are being watched since these sponsored ads were searched on other sites and transported over to your Facebook feed. For instance, if I am on a clothing website and add a certain piece of clothing to my cart and leave the site without purchasing anything, I will find an ad of that exact article of clothing in an ad on Facebook or Instagram.
Even when I am on the site Quizlet studying for an upcoming quiz or exam, ads pop up for clothes that I have added to my cart yet not purchased on a different site. Though social media is free, they make money by advertising paid sponsored ads based on our searches on other sites. The algorithm of your social media feeds are not only based on who you interact with the most, they also include sponsored ads based on what you search, as filter bubbles make your feed relative to your interests. Social networks use algorithms instead of putting posts in chronological order as it makes your feed “feel more fresh”.
Watch the Youtube video below to see how Instagram’s algorithm determines what your feed looks like.
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