Seeing Through Algorithms and Sources
The information we consume will never be free from bias just as we ourselves can never be truly unbiased. The content we are exposed to online is often geared specifically toward us and our interests through tracking of some kind. In the age of Web 2.0, we have to be more conscious than ever of how platforms and technology operate and our own information literacy.
Platforms and Content
Most platforms have some semi-unique elements that personalize your experience on the app whether it be based on algorithms or tracking through cookies. These can also serve as a means of capturing and retaining the attention of users, an important commodity. YouTube is a platform that does this well with its Auto-Play feature automatically rolling into suggested and likely popular videos. On most apps and platforms, it is difficult to consciously affect the kind of content you are exposed to. This is the case with Twitter and its Trending Topics which are affected by the general population of users rather than by any one individual.
TikTok has created an algorithm-based system to recommend videos based on the individual as well as what is trending at the time. Each algorithm is incredibly personal to the individual user with “sides of TikTok” being a conversation starter now. These sides of TikTok expose millions of people to a plethora of interests and create a community amongst it. One side of TikTok I see every day is called BookTok. BookTok is centered around providing readers a space to recommend, comment on, and share art of books they have read with other TikTok users. Books that become popular on BookTok tend to become best sellers, creating a massive market based on this social media marketing. It has gotten to the point where booksellers will have a table labeled “BookTok Favorites” front and center with BookTok’s favorite books at that time.
Information Literacy
Information literacy uses critical thinking, research, and reflection to identify and fact-check sources we draw information from. This can be done with any article, video, paper, or other media we watch. The Check Please! program we are learning from highlighted the SIFT process in its first lesson. SIFT is an acronym we can use to remember a method of finding trustworthy sources. First, you stop and ask yourself if you know and trust the source. Then, you investigate the source to learn more about it. I found that using Wikipedia was the most streamlined way of learning about the type of content it produces and the biases it may have. Next, you attempt to find better coverage by looking into other reputable or trusted reporting on the same topic. Lastly, you’ll want to trace any claims, quotes, or media to the original context to better understand the topic as a whole as well as its supporting information.
You don’t have to follow the entire SIFT process in order to identify a source as trustworthy; however, the four steps are there in case more than just investigation is needed. The SIFT process can help to select sources that are more accurate and trustworthy as well as create a culture of better identifying trustworthy sources from the beginning. It’s more efficient to SIFT the source than go down a rabbit hole of untrustworthy information.
