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By Hasan A. Rabbani Gr, 8
Algorithms are the backbone of every social media app, entirely responsible for the content you consume, and for this reason, companies race to improve their algorithms. Without
this state-of-the-art tool, major social media companies would suffer and possibly even collapse.
At heart, an algorithm is an advanced program coded to take information and create an output. In
social media’s case, the algorithm takes your preferences and interests to supply a personalized feed of videos and ads for you to enjoy. Ultimately, for this procedure to work, it must also collect information about you—a process in which the algorithm is deeply entwined.
Through many different methods, algorithms collect information to essentially create a data profile of you. One of the simplest ways to collect your data is through online cookies.
Cookies are essentially little monitors that save information about your search history, online purchases, and locations you’ve visited. However, the majority of cookies are not malicious and are used for solely marketing and personalization. Another piece of data that is commonly recorded is video interaction and watch time. The algorithm analyzes these statistics to calculate some of your interests and what you might not like. It is important to note, however, that when you first create your account, the first statistic that the algorithm records is the profile information you’ve entered. This can include age, gender, nationality, name, and bio; all of this information is used for a very wide and initial scope for what your demographic is interested in.
Combined, the algorithm utilizes this information to create a strong and detailed profile of you.
With this information, the algorithm then combines all of the gathered information, creating a unique feed customized to your interests and dislikes. It will give you ads that are relevant to you and only you based on the genre of content you consume. Once it has confirmed your opinions, from political to operating system preferences, the algorithm will instill you into echo chambers, content feeds that support your opinions, and keep you away from content that opposes your ideologies.
Despite keeping you in echo chambers, the algorithm will also introduce you to different and new topics using similar interests of your demographic, as well as using your watch history. Most importantly, it will keep your ads meaningful and engaging, supporting all three parties in the equation: the developer, the consumer, and the advertisers. As the algorithm advances and gathers more information, it makes your feed more diverse and
accurate to what you like.
As technology progresses and AI becomes a stronger tool, companies have incorporated machine learning into their algorithm programs. Used for many features, machine learning programs have been trained to find similar profiles using the data about their interests and recommend them to one another, a crucial feature in many different apps. AI also plays a pivotal role in marketing and personalized ads, managing specifics such as timing and length. Numerous companies are starting to use AI to filter content for different ages based on comments, video titles, and comments, leading to a friendlier and safer user experience. As AI becomes a more reliable tool, companies are trying to implement its advantages and put its skills to use.
Through all of its various data collection methods and AI/machine learning tools, algorithms are now able to give us exactly what we expect from our social media feeds. With how accurate these programs can be, people believe that the algorithm and the amount of data that it collects is dangerous when in reality it is harmless. All of the data collected is only to give you a better experience and marketing to you better. Ultimately, an algorithm is a safe tool that uses collected data to appeal and tailor to our preferences, rather than be something to change.
