Introduction
The skill of induction draws general conclusions about elements after making a small set of observations about those elements. Media companies use this skill to tailor algorithms to help them gather information about their audiences. One place that we see the use of
induction is in social media. Media platforms use algorithms to promote, influence, and sometimes change human behavior.
Social media platforms employ algorithms to gather information of how audiences use media. For example, if someone watches a Facebook video on dog grooming, they might start to see dog grooming (or any other domestic animal) commercials during their programs or experience several popup advertisements about animal care, dog adoption, donating to a nonprofit dog rescue, etc. when they are on a website.
The induction process starts when something grabs our attention in a way that stimulates us to begin asking questions about what is really going on, and we seek an explanation. In short, the purpose of the inducing is to notice patterns and make inferences.
Here is a simple example of the induction process using algorithms:
Formulate a question. (How much does the audience care about animals?)
Determine the element to observe. (Search engines, spending habits (Amazon), time spent online, etc.)
Make observations of several elements of a given type. (People who own dogs watch television between 7-9 p.m. after their evening walk.)
Infer a pattern. Look for commonalities across those elements to make a claim about a pattern. (People who own pets usually spend 10-20% of their income on pet care.)
Generalize the pattern. Claim the pattern holds throughout the full set of elements from which you made your few observations. (Pet owners are caring individuals that are more likely to contribute approximately $25 to all nonprofit organizations because they love their pets, and the best time to put an ad for the organization is between 9 – 11 p.m. because they will be more likely to be emotional about pets after spending time with theirs).
Continue to test the claim. The additional observations will either support the pattern, which will increase your confidence in the accuracy of the general claim, or not support the pattern, which falsifies the general claim. With falsification, we can either reject the entire general claim or alter it so that it is less general–that is, so the claim is no longer so broad that it includes the non-supportive observations.
Assignment
Using all the information that you have read in chapters 1-8 (the role of media literacy, media messages, media theories, and the industry) in your textbook as well as all the provided videos and readings attached to the writing assignments as your foundation and springboard, focus on this writing prompt:
“How has mass media or social media used the induction algorithm outlined and demonstrated above to develop and influence industry and/or individual audience perspectives?”
Think also about social media algorithms and how they affect what we see and experience. In your summary paragraph, talk directly and intently about how YOU think about the effect s of algorithms in the future. Support your opinion with factual articles that you include in your references page.
Instructions
Write a 500-word assignment using the Writing Assignment Organizer Download Writing Assignment Organizeras your guide.
Use and refer to the media literacy skill of inducing (defined above) in your work.
Conduct auxiliary research and use/reference what you find in your work.
DO NOT simply summarize the information. I want to see what YOU think about the information that you collected and how YOU think it is applicable and useful to help us become better media literacy advocates. What did you learn? What else would you want to know? What are next steps to take, etc.? How can society benefit from this information, if at all?
Resources
Understanding Social Media Algorithm 2024 Complete GuideBy: Chandraveer Singh, Social Pilot.co., January 3, 2024Links to an external site. Learn how social media algorithms affect the ranking of your content in the feed. Find out how to trick the algorithm and boost your content visibility.
Code-Dependent: Pros and Cons of the Algorithm Age By: Lee Rainie and Janna Anderson, Pew Research Center, February 8, 2017. Links to an external site.Algorithms are aimed at optimizing everything. They can save lives, make things easier and conquer chaos. Still, experts worry they can also put too much control in the hands of corporations and governments, perpetuate bias, create filter bubbles, cut choices, creativity, and serendipity, and could result in greater unemployment.
Dear Facebook, this is how you’re breaking democracy Yaël Eisenstat, TED2020, August 2020.Links to an external site. “Lies are more engaging online than truth,” says former CIA analyst, diplomat, and Facebook employee Yaël Eisenstat. “As long as [social media] algorithms’ goals are to keep us engaged, they will feed us the poison that plays to our worst instincts and human weaknesses.” In this bold talk, Eisenstat explores how social media companies like Facebook incentivize inflammatory content, contributing to a culture of political polarization and mistrust — and calls on governments to hold these platforms accountable to protect civil discourse and democracy.
Make sure that you proofread your work PRIOR to submission.
Upload a WORD DOCUMENT ONLY to Canvas.
Paper MUST be double-spaced. Use page numbers, but do not use title pages and/or page runners.
Use 12 pt. Times Roman typeface.
