What are we Optimizing?
I recently watched a series of videos called "Do Not Track" that covered various aspects of data collection on the Internet. Topics ranged from how internet cookies work to big data and the algorithms used to push data to online viewers.
In episode 6 of this series, "The Daily Me," the content really digs deep into how the information we see on on social media sites end up being what we see. The experts in the video talked about the different algorithms used and how they vary from different websites. One expert depicted how different people reacted to the violence in Gaza in the summer of 2014. He explained that people with more supportive views of the Israelis saw content that framed the violence in such a way that it support their views; where as, the people who had oppositional views of the Israelis saw content, of the same event, but framed in a way that was supportive of their views. I know that this is how social media works; however, the expert then said this:
Hearing this, truly simplified the whole system of social media algorithms and how harmful they are becoming to society as a whole. I can't think of a way to identify the problem any more clearly. We, as a society, have become so accustomed to our information being personalized to our beliefs, we are sacrificing the the opportunity to have an informed public.
Below are two images of real, current news stories found on news websites. Both articles are covering the immigration crisis happening in America right now. You can see that the first image is from Fox News and is bringing attention to the families who have lost a loved one due to action taken by an illegal immigrant. This news story is being pushed on the news feeds of right-wing Americans who mostly agree with President Trump's Zero-Tolerance Policy on Immigration. The second image is from CNN and this article is highlighting the children who have been separated from their families on the border. This article is being pushed to left wing Americas who are in opposition to Trump's policy.
This is an issue that can be addressed in our classrooms. Teachers have a responsibility to expose our students to views that are different then their own. We are to help them develop critical thinking skills so they can learn to make decision for themselves. We demonstrate to students how important it is to try to understand a situation for its entirety rather than just for the part of it of which we agree. People on both sides of this situation need to be reading about it from all angles. The stories being told here aren't false or inaccurate, they are simply framing the situation to meet the views of the intended audience.
The expert in the video could not have stated the problem any more clearly, should we care about how many clicks or shares a post receives or should we care about having a well informed public?
Answer seems pretty clear to me.
I recently watched a series of videos called "Do Not Track" that covered various aspects of data collection on the Internet. Topics ranged from how internet cookies work to big data and the algorithms used to push data to online viewers.
In episode 6 of this series, "The Daily Me," the content really digs deep into how the information we see on on social media sites end up being what we see. The experts in the video talked about the different algorithms used and how they vary from different websites. One expert depicted how different people reacted to the violence in Gaza in the summer of 2014. He explained that people with more supportive views of the Israelis saw content that framed the violence in such a way that it support their views; where as, the people who had oppositional views of the Israelis saw content, of the same event, but framed in a way that was supportive of their views. I know that this is how social media works; however, the expert then said this:
"Are we optimizing for clicks and traffic or for an informed public?"
Hearing this, truly simplified the whole system of social media algorithms and how harmful they are becoming to society as a whole. I can't think of a way to identify the problem any more clearly. We, as a society, have become so accustomed to our information being personalized to our beliefs, we are sacrificing the the opportunity to have an informed public.
Below are two images of real, current news stories found on news websites. Both articles are covering the immigration crisis happening in America right now. You can see that the first image is from Fox News and is bringing attention to the families who have lost a loved one due to action taken by an illegal immigrant. This news story is being pushed on the news feeds of right-wing Americans who mostly agree with President Trump's Zero-Tolerance Policy on Immigration. The second image is from CNN and this article is highlighting the children who have been separated from their families on the border. This article is being pushed to left wing Americas who are in opposition to Trump's policy.
This is an issue that can be addressed in our classrooms. Teachers have a responsibility to expose our students to views that are different then their own. We are to help them develop critical thinking skills so they can learn to make decision for themselves. We demonstrate to students how important it is to try to understand a situation for its entirety rather than just for the part of it of which we agree. People on both sides of this situation need to be reading about it from all angles. The stories being told here aren't false or inaccurate, they are simply framing the situation to meet the views of the intended audience.
The expert in the video could not have stated the problem any more clearly, should we care about how many clicks or shares a post receives or should we care about having a well informed public?
Answer seems pretty clear to me.
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