My algorithm will tell who to connect with…
What is an algorithm? How do they influence our economy? What are their impacts on our social systems? Are we entering a culture directed by algorithms? These are all tough questions that economist, theorists, researchers, and individuals must begin to consider. Questions of magnitude that cannot be clearly addressed in a single blog post. In this short piece I will focus on a few key considerations for algorithms and our social systems.
First, let’s start by clarifying what an algorithm is. In simple terms, it is an action a computer takes based of a series of defined data points. For example, pretend I am a computer sitting in the corner of a coffee shop. I patiently observe customers and each time a customer executes the following steps I clap and cheer them on. Customer walks in door > customer stands in line > customer places order > customer pays with credit card = I cheer. If they were to pay with cash, then I would not cheer them on. Now just imagine this in the digital world. Get it?
So, how do algorithms play a role in today’s social systems? The most obvious example is within the many online social networks people participate in around the world. A key challenge with online social networks is that algorithms continue to feed and propagate a common behavior or set of preferences. This challenge is that it limits exposure to new experiences, products, and people who may not fit the algorithm that is guiding your presence. You may have experienced this with clicking one pair of shoes on a social network, then you all of a sudden have a dozen other similar brands or styles spanning your profile pages. This keeps you in a box of a certain style. The same goes with people.
Across the globe nationalism continues to be a challenge for governments and communities. I was listening to the news not too long ago in the United States and a mother of a teenager was talking about how her son had shared a meme with a group of online friends, as a result a series of recommendations and suggested people to follow continued to appear on his feeds. These new memes, articles, and people were all within a white nationalist community. Challenges like this, where the actor is young, impressionable, and may not have yet developed the necessary critical thinking skills needed to decipher impure messaging and recruiting tactics of a certain group, will continue to pop up and further the divides among sub communities of populations.
Not all uses of algorithms across social systems is negative such as the previous example given above. There are many productive uses for well-intentioned social groups such as online dating applications and professional networking communities. The small point I’d like to make in this large and complex problem is that we must all be conscious of the digital system behind the system in which we engage. Take things with a grain of salt, think critically, and have intention behind your actions to expand the aperture of your physical and digital worlds. If you do not, you will be herded around like a sheep by a highly intelligent and nimble digital Shepherd.
Thanks for reading.
