Algorithmic Personalization and Advertising
Upon completion of my LEAP 2, I found that there were highs and lows I experienced during this project. Due to personal factors and life, I was unable to complete the LEAP 2 project within the deadline and with a partner. Initially, I had planned to work with someone else in the class, but the complications of life steered me away from being able to complete the collaborative work. When I did have a partner, I found it difficult to work together online. I guess I prefer doing projects in person. It was hard to contact the other person at times due to varying schedules and I found myself slacking when it came to what I had to do for the partnership. My partner and I went back and forth with how we wanted to present our information and set up the project. The biggest issue we had was putting it together to make two topics flow smoothly. My original collaboration idea was that I would focus on algorithmic personalization and they would research advertising. We gathered information and shared a Google document to plan out our project and research. I ended up completing the LEAP 2 project on my own and through it all, I am content with how it turned out. However, I believe that if I did not have circumstances and events that got in the way of my partnership, working with a partner would have been beneficial as we could split the work and focus on each topic more in depth. Working with a partner would have allowed me to incorporate more ideas and perspectives into the project.
I choose to do the topic of algorithmic personalization and advertising, specifically within the realm of Instagram. I found this topic compelling when it was initially introduced to the class through the “What About Advertising, Propaganda & Public Relations?” module on Pathwright. Because Instagram is such a popular and commonly used app, I figured it was the perfect platform to focus on as many college students participate in this form of media. I always found the concept of advertising and algorithmic personalization interesting because there have been many times I’ve questioned what shows up on my feed and how. Many of my friends have also brewed up curiosity on the topic, so I decided to address it in my project.
I created my media using Microsoft Powerpoint and Screencast-O-Matic. In the last LEAP project, I used this same production method because it was simple to use and easy to navigate. I started researching algorithmic personalization by reading the classes’ book, Media Literacy in Action, by Professor Renee Hobbs. I then scoured the internet to find articles that would support my information and ended up finding an article on Instagram’s algorithm change in the New York Times. Another source I used was Instagram’s data policy as it explained exactly how the app personalizes advertisements and your feed. The first challenge I found when doing the project on my own was organization. I needed a way to present all the information I had just collected in a way that flowed and made sense. Once I was able to organize the information, I was ready to write the script. I tried to write the script in an informative but extemporaneous tone, so the video would be more appealing to the audience. I added infographics and many images to keep my video visually appealing and more entertaining. My last step was recording my media and to help the overall aura of my video, I added light jazz music. I found myself having to record a few times, but after rewatching the final take, I am satisfied with what I made and am excited to share it.
Works Cited for LEAP 2
Hobbs, R. (2020, February 28). Propaganda in an Age of Algorithmic Personalization: Expanding Literacy Research and Practice. International Literacy Association (ILA). https://ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/rrq.301.
Hobbs, R. (2021). Media literacy in action questioning the media. Rowman & Littlefield.
Isaac, M. (2016, March 15). Instagram May Change Your Feed, Personalizing It With an Algorithm. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/technology/instagram-feed.html.
Meyer, R. (2016, March 16). Your Instagram Feed Is About to Completely Change. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/03/instagram-algorithmic-feed/474039/.
