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Course: Social media literacy > Unit 3
Lesson 3: What is artificial intelligence and how do social media companies use it?What is artificial intelligence and how do social media companies use it?
Google ClassroomA robot invasion...of our minds
What is artificial intelligence and how do social media companies use it?
“Tiktok had started recommending weight loss videos and ‘what I eat in a day’ videos to my ‘For You’ page.”
–Anonymous, Age 13, Orange County
Persuasive design features on social media have us constantly checking notifications, monitoring our “likes,” and endlessly scrolling. These features aren’t merely there to keep you entertained. Instead, they incentivize you to keep coming back and create opportunities to analyze your behavior while you’re there. The more data they have, the more easily they can figure out how to hook you.
Underneath what you see, driving the posts in your feeds, notifications you receive, recommendations, and much more, is artificial intelligence (AI). AI enables computers to mimic some of the ways human minds work, from learning to problem-solving to decision-making. AI is powered by algorithms, which are instructions that tell a computer how to operate.
Algorithms can be used to create self-driving cars or find cures for diseases, but persuasive technology companies specialize in algorithms that influence human behavior because that’s what they sell to the advertisers who are their customers.
For example: ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok and several other apps worldwide, is a persuasive AI company – not a social media company. Their success as a business comes from the sophisticated algorithms their apps are built on. They study how people use TikTok, considering everything about their users from the websites they browse to how they type to keystroke rhythms and patterns. These algorithms have made ByteDance the most valuable startup in the world.
TikTok isn’t addictive just because creators are funny; it’s addictive because it uses one of the most sophisticated persuasive algorithms on the planet to choose videos that will keep you watching. When everyone’s videos get more and more likes, everyone ends up on TikTok far longer than they intended.
Want to join the conversation?
The issue with algorithms is that being addicted isn't a problem with self-control, is it? Trying to maintain self-control against these social media algorithms is like fighting a battle against an army, except that army is a group of researchers and psychologist working every day to keep your attention in check. What can one person do to maintain control against these social media algorithms?(8 votes)
The best answer (from where I sit) is just to get rid of social media, or at least the ones whose intentions are to grab your attention and be addictive. That right there is enough to tell me these apps and companies don't have my best interests (like my time and health) at heart. No app is worthy of me if it intentionally wants my time and to get me addicted.
However, cold turkey can sometimes be a little extreme. Perhaps you can wean yourself off by slowly, over time, reducing your phone or social media use.
A few years ago, I gave a speech in my communications class about the dangers of social media use. During the speech, I had a handout I gave to everyone that included ways to wean yourself off of social media; things you can do to combat the fight. I used this webpage as my source: https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/tech-addiction-is-real-how-to-cut-back-on-screen-time-wean-off-social-media
Lot's of good advice on that page, with plenty of ideas to try.(3 votes)
Do you think that we should believe that our minds should be in this unless the life of just scrolling on our pages?(3 votes)
Incessantly scrolling on our phones can lead to anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation.Yes I do believe scrolling on social media without limiting properly is really risky.(3 votes)
- do you think we should just focus on scrolling and not on what's going on in the real world or we should focus on what's going on in the real world(1 vote)
It's important to find a balance between scrolling through digital content and staying engaged with real-world events. Both have their merits, but neither should dominate our attention. It's about prioritizing both digital and real-world experiences to maintain a well-rounded perspective.(1 vote)
- how can we spend so much hours on social media?(1 vote)
hashtag taxxx i love doing my taxessss(0 votes)