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!
Arely,
ReplyDeleteGreat article! Being able dislike something after liking it is a pretty nice option to have after a research like the one we went through. I decided to go on the opposite side, that is not liking anything on Facebook. The results were like cleaning my old closet and renovating it with new stuff. You are totally right algorithms are out of control and if you like the wrong stuff your Facebook account will be bombarded by stuff you don't want necessarily. At the end of the day I think this was a great exercise overall!
Walter
Thanks for sharing Arely! It's definitely is interesting how just by submitting suggestions to our Facebook account makes us a little creeped out by it's persistence and algorithm assumptions due to our patterns. We all know that what is spitting out is not personal but because we are personal creatures we take it that way. And like you said, your friends are looking at the data as well and they will react. I felt the same way you did. Very interesting! Keep writing and keep photographing!
ReplyDeleteNancy
Very cool. Facebook is made to get as personal as possible. I guess they figure these algorithms are making things better for people. I don't think they assume we like everything, and maybe that's why its so creeping when we abuse the service by liking everything. Fun experiment though.
ReplyDeleteFacebook is totally creeping me out these days, yet I can't get away. I feel like I'm in an abusive digital relationship. The speed with which Facebook reacts (you like this, so here!! Here's this!! and This!! and This!!) takes a lot of the humanity away from the idea of an organic organism who is exploring and growing in the world; it seems like we are pressured instead to respond in a more digital, cold manner to the world.
ReplyDelete