Claim: Social Media Algorithms Create Echo Chambers

Question

A benefit of social media is the ability to find a community for any unique interest, but with the shift in politics on social media following the 2020 elections, is social media more polarizing than community building?

Answer 1

Claim: Social Media Algorithms Create Echo Chambers

True. As stated by Christina Newberry from Hootsuite, "A social media algorithm is a set of rules and signals that automatically ranks content on a social platform based on how likely each individual social media user is to like it and interact with it."(https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-algorithm/#:~:text=A%20social%20media%20algorithm%20is,it%20and%20interact%20with%20it.) Based on the definition alone, one can see how algorithms create echo chambers because it automatically ranks content tailored towards the user's interests, which in turn with politics, will cause posts of similar ideology onto someone's timeline. This definition directly backs up Max Fisher's claim of what social media algorithms are and what they do, as stated within the NPR article you provided. 
Another definition provided by the Univeristy of Texas at Austin is "A social media echo chamber is when one experiences a biased, tailored media experience that eliminates opposing viewpoints and differing voices. Due to social media algorithms that ensure we only see media that fits our preferences, we have found ourselves in a comfortable, self-confirming feed" (https://advertising.utexas.edu/news/what-social-media-echo-chamber). Again, this definition directly backs the claim that Max Fisher made in the NPR article provided. 

Here is how the algorithm works, as provided by Christina Newberry from Hootsuite (https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-algorithm/#:~:text=A%20social%20media%20algorithm%20is,it%20and%20interact%20with%20it.) : If you follow specific content, let's say plant accounts for example on Instagram, the algorithm pictures up this commonality of your followings and ranks posts and accounts that related or are plants as something you would like, these signals are called ranking signals. Once the algorithm has this ranking signals, you'll start to see more and more plants on your suggestion or for you page. 

In regard to politics, social media has become more polarizing due to the algorithm, this is true. According to Institute for Youth in Policy: "Social media heavily segregates different user groups when it comes to politics by creating an echo chamber effect among its users. Not only does this segregation reinforce bias, but it can also lead those within a particular echo chamber to shift their positions further towards the extreme as they become more isolated from external information. This phenomenon strengthens ideologies and creates a sense of “us vs. them,” pitting one ideological group against the other and exacerbating the political divide within America" (https://yipinstitute.org/article/the-echo-chamber-effect-social-medias-role-in-political-bias). This explains that echo chambers created by social media is creating a more polarizing political world due to the algorithm posting more and more concepts ones political party agrees more. 

Answer 2

Yes, social media is more polarizing than community building. Recently, Tiktok has been extremely popular. The so-called "For You Page" on app, is personalized to each user. Due to this, social media can easily be more polarizing because these "echo chambers" are creating social media communities that are divided. People have their own opinions, and social media can easily enhance that. The more information that is released onto the internet, whether it is true or not, can change a users thinking. I found an article from Scientific American that discusses how "In a centralized echo chamber, if the influencer at the middle shows even a small amount of partisan bias, it can become amplified throughout the entire group." The article always states that "our country has been struggling with bias and polarization a long time" and is getting more and more urgent and evident as time goes on.

www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-social-media-makes-us-more-polarized-and-how-to-fix-it/