Metrics and Analytics: LJ3
The readings from the past couple of weeks have created a totally new stand point in how I see social media, blogs, wikis, and how a basic web search can affects how we are viewed. My first thought of a wiki was the website Wikipedia. At first glance, I was confused on why we would want to learn about something our teachers/ professors always warned us about, only to find out that a wiki can be very useful in almost any situation involved with sharing information within a group of people. I found the past couple of readings very educating and in some cases entertaining. When I was first introduced to We are Date by Cheney-Lippold, J (2017), I would have never thought that an algorithm based off of what we have searched on the internet could determine what age, sex, and even ethnicity it thinks we are (p.8).
Not too far off from an algorithm that determines who we are from a search on the internet, Is how social media companies collect data from us and use in various ways. Chapter 6 of Social media communication by Lipschultz, Jeremy Harris (2020) explained how companies use our data off of social media to profit and gain more knowledge. These companies "collected measurements of social media marketing consumers based on popularity, trending mentions, likes, interactions, and even conversations to purchase something"(p.161). Just as searching the web had algorithms, social network sites also used them. As Lipschultz (2020) described, "Software can categorize words as positive, neutral, or negative and Algorithms can organize tweets around a center of influence (p.160).
Algorithms are something that, we in this class, are becoming very familiar with, and to know that social media has a form of them with in, is very alarming. I use social media a lot more that searching the internet, which is why I am more concerned about my usage now. A reason for these algorithms is to "collect data that marketers want in order to monetize their efforts" (p. 158). Even if some of the data they collect is used as a harmless means to attempt to make a profit, it is very uncomfortable to feel like I am being watched every step of the way. I do feel like knowing this would influence my use of social media in a professional way, I truly never know who is gaining access to the date that I create from each like or mention.
Bibliography
Cheney-Lippold, J. (2017). We are data algorithms and the making of our Digital Selves. New York University Press.
Lipschultz, J. H. (2020). Social Media Communication: Concepts, practices, data, Law and Ethics (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Hi Demarko, your point about how companies use our data off of social media to profit and gain more information on us is very true indeed. Especially for bigger companies that are more well-known social media giants. According to Lipschultz (2020), "the trend over the past six years has been for numerous startups to fail, as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat limit third-party data and incorporate this function within in-house functions and their business models" (p.171). They are disguised as harmless apps to socialize and share pictures when in fact their real purpose use to get information on us. We are just consumers to them at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteHey Demarko, I did have an idea that internet algorithm based off what we searched when we surf the web, but the one thing I didn't know you could do is determine what age, sex, and even ethnicity just by browsing. Know this has affected by social media use substantially, i'm more meticulous about what I search and post online now.
ReplyDeleteHey Demarko, I completely agree that it is very alarming to know that social media sites are monitoring its users every step of the way from what we like, comment on, and even what posts we are mentioned in. It is also alarming because these social media sites are not simply tracking our usage but forming impressions of us and even tracking our behavior through our usage. They do this by searching for certain positive and negative words on posts that are about certain topics. Companies view comments as opinions and see them as a way to measure how the public generally feels towards a given topic. Companies are "interested in sentiment analysis of those opinions as positive, neutral, or negative" (Lipschultz 165). This is alarming because it means that companies are not trying to simply gain basic surface information about users, but instead are trying to create in depth profiles on how they believe a person behaves and feels. It shows how much these social media websites truly watch their users. I really enjoyed reading your post and thought it offered many good insights and views on social media algorithms and how they track their users.
ReplyDeleteLipschultz, J. H. (2021). Social Media Communication: Concepts, practices, data, Law and Ethics. Routledge.
Hey Demarko, We all find it quite scary and alarming that we are leaving such a big trail on ourselves but in the moment, these are things we simply cant avoid. We search all day long whether its on a personal cell phone or work computer which leads to digital trail. Devin mentions the idea of social media companies "watching us" and this is not something to brush under a rug. There are many documentaries and videos that I seen exploiting these companies that use our everyday data. I have learned that social media companies will suggest certain videos if they see you are scrolling through videos without watching one completely. YouTube is a great example of this and we can also include TikTok. Although we don't recognize our patterns, these mass companies know every single one.
ReplyDeleteHey, Demarko
ReplyDeleteyou make some good point about how algorithms only see us as essentially 1's and 0's to be collected and used for profit. I personally think that we as a society should expand these algorithms to be more inclusive to all.
Hey Demarko,
ReplyDeleteI also find it very interesting about how diverse social media actually is. I initially just considered Instagram or Facebook "social media" but it also includes news stations, blogs, wikis, essentially anything online that has some form of communication. This goes well into how you explained the algorithm and the idea of the internet. I too also agree that the algorithm may be alarming to think about
Hi Demarko,
ReplyDeleteI after reading the assigned material, I also found myself viewing social media and data in a completely different way. I had not realized all of the ways social media allows for companies to really profit off of us. While it makes sense for businesses to use social media data in a way to benefit their sales, it also seems so invasive and odd that they are.