As part of my assignment, I was to take on the task on Facebook to
either like everything, hide everything, or not like anything at all. Since I'm
mostly a lurker on Facebook, occasionally liking posts that catch my eye (the
few times a week I'm actually on Facebook), I chose to take on the task of
liking everything. I was weary at first to like everything. I have some pretty
deviant friends and acquaintances on Facebook who post some cringe-worthy
stuff.
First, I ensured this analysis was not going to be permanent so I
researched how to unlike things after you have liked them. A good thing to know
in case my Facebook imploded.
The first few posts I liked were penned by old classmates I
haven't seen since high school, acquaintances who are good friends with people
I don't like (ugh), and the rest were posted y family and friends. I found it
interesting that most posts had a visual aid of some sort.
After liking about 7 posts, I came across a Bill Maher video that
a friend posted. Any political post is better left unliked. Others may prejudge
you simply by having different opinions than they do but I liked the video
anyway.
Then, I noticed that right after liking that video, Facebook
presented me with celebrities or TV shows who are similar to the video I watched:
The Daily show, The Colbert Report, Bill Gates, and Seth MacFarlane. That’s
kind of creepy.
It almost seemed like Facebook was already making a judgment about
me: I like Bill Maher therefore I must like Stephen Colbert, et al. (I DO like Stephen Colbert but that is beside
the point) Facebook almost encourages itself to make judgments, or predictions,
about people. I recognize that this is a specified algorithm to show increase
in our bubble of information, but still, it knows, and that’s what gives it the
creepy factor.
Another thing I noticed was how many more ads or sponsored links
popped up on my timeline. Once the ads started popping up, I remembered that my
friends and family were able to see what I liked. I’m not a big fan of
sponsored ads so I stopped liking things shortly after.
In conclusion, Facebook’s algorithm becomes more pronounced the
more you like things. It will predict what you might want to read and it will
also fill your timeline with sponsored links. Like posts responsibly!
