Social media algorithms curate political beliefs
By Hania Para, October 25, 2021
There is a quote from an American author and public speaker, Donny Miller, that says,
“In the age of information, ignorance is a choice.”
But what if social media is highly responsible for our ignorance?
With the recent filing of candidacy, netizens began to express their political bets anchoring their political beliefs. Colors of pink, red, yellow, green, among others representing political parties, would be mentioned and seen on Facebook.
If you support Leni Robredo, you will most likely see posts elevating her image. If you are for Bongbong Marcos, you will receive information that highlights his qualifications to be the next president. Meanwhile, if you happen to be a fan of Manny Pacquiao, you will keep seeing posts on how he deserves to be the president of the country. And so, did you ever question why you are least likely to see posts on candidates aside from your bet?
This is due to social media algorithms. As technically defined, algorithms sort posts on our timeline and feeds based on their relevance to our preferences. This feature is persuasive and influential on your political views and on who you will decide to vote for.
Many people are unaware of what has been processed behind their feeds. Let’s dissect this: algorithms are created with the agenda of modifying behaviors and exploiting users — having it known as persuasive technology. This technology is dangerous as it contributes to homogenous discussions online.
Should we fear homogenous discussions? My answer is yes. As algorithms can create this, individuals are curated into their own social media bubbles where we only interact with people with similar thinking. This results in having little to no knowledge on other perspectives — worst, it disables one from distinguishing fact from disinformation.
Algorithms give more ways to engage than the accuracy of the posts they refer to an individual — and in the study of Pew Research Center titled Many Tech Experts Say Digital Disruption Will Hurt Democracy, the social media algorithm contributes to the distrust in journalism. This is the reason why people are more likely to believe what they see online rather than what is being reported in the news.
The Filipino digital society, as I have observed, has been quite muddled with the immense fake news circulating online. The glimpse of disruption within the age of information has been heightened with the amount of COVID-19 misinformation. What more will it be with the upcoming elections?
The dialogue “respect my opinion” may be used a lot by netizens who defend their questionable political stands or the false online information they believe in. Although I take having a political belief as a good step in exercising democracy, the homogenous discussions and bubbles prevent inclusivity — the very heart of democracy.
But then, we cannot blame people for their political beliefs based on homogeneity and the posts they perceive credible in their Facebook timelines. As a result, there is polarization in political opinion among the Filipinos. Taking note of the polarization phenomenon of Myers and Lamm in 1976, people who take part in homogenous conversations have tendencies of adopting extreme positions after their discourse with like-minded friends.
Algorithms encourage conversations reinforcing prior beliefs where there is no space for diverse perspectives.
What we can do is to encourage people to fact-check the information they see online. Participate in discussions with them supported by credible information and make them understand how algorithms can affect their political beliefs. We are now not only battling disinformation, but also the destructive persuasive technology the algorithm is.
Another important thing is that we keep check of ourselves as well. When we are in full support of a political candidate, there are instances where we can also mindlessly share posts that highlight their name.
We should keep in mind that social media is curated based on our likes, values, and behaviors. These make us only consume what we only want to see. I view this as an occurrence that impedes us from growing and learning.
Now that you are reading this, you might start checking the political posts you see on your social media accounts and always ask yourself this question, “Should I accept this information, or is this algorithm?”
Copyeditor:
Patricia Beatriz H. de Leon
Researcher:
Lara Julia Salvador
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