Lesson 3 Into the Smart Future
Social Media Algorithms: A Double-edged Sword
Social media algorithms ____ a huge role in our everyday lives.
They make our lives easier by presenting us with options that we ____ be interested in.
Algorithms decide which content is shown to ____
They ____ determine the order of the content that appears on our social media feed.
____ we are using an app to watch videos, for example, we may see suggestions for related videos.
These recommendations are not ____
They are based on our previous activity—what we’ve watched or clicked on in the ____
This ____ is fed into an algorithm, which then decides what we will see.
Social media algorithms are all around us, but they are a double-edged sword that can bring both benefits ____ problems.
Let’s look at some pros ____ cons of social media algorithms.
PROS
Algorithms make it easier for us to ____ the information we need.
____ is a lot of information available on social media.
To find what we’re looking for, we must sort through a lot ____ irrelevant information.
Algorithms do ____ job for us.
If we’re ____ to decide on an item to buy, for example, they remember which brands we looked at or purchased in the past.
____ also show us stories related to topics we’ve clicked on.
If algorithms ____ not exist, we would have a harder time searching for what we want.
They allow us to spend less time ____ and more time enjoying what we’re interested in.
Algorithms help us stay connected to our loved ones and meet new ____
Have you ever noticed that posts from your close friends on social media usually appear ____ the top?
This doesn’t happen by chance. It is the work of ____
They keep track of the people we interact with the most ____ social media.
This ____ us to stay in touch with the people we care about.
They can also connect us with new ____
By showing us posts of users who have similar ideas and interests, social media algorithms can help us find or even form communities with people who ____ the same interests.
CONS
____ promote information bias.
Social media algorithms organize content based on our previous activities—likes, dislikes, and ____ history.
If you like ____ article or a post, algorithms will show you similar content.
This means they prevent us from discovering information that offers ____ different point of view.
It causes us to have information ____ or a false sense that what we think is the norm of society.
____ a result, our range of knowledge remains narrow and our opinions don’t change.
____ is especially dangerous when it comes to controversial topics.
Algorithms ____ contribute to social media addiction.
As we all know, social media can be very ____
It presents us with posts, articles, and information that look ____ or interesting.
Social media algorithms ensure that we have a continuous stream of content on our screens, which makes it hard ____ us to look away.
So ____ end up spending hours and hours online.
Social media ____ is a serious issue for some people.
It ____ have a harmful effect on their studies, work, personal relationships, and even mental health.
COMMENTS
I think social media ____ make my life easier.
They help me a ____ when I’m looking for songs or movies that suit my taste.
I’ve discovered some of my favorite directors and musical artists ____ to algorithms.
It feels like algorithms know me better ____ I know myself!
We ____ ignore the negative aspects of social media algorithms.
People share fake news on social media, not paying attention to whether or not the ____ is accurate.
Fake news spreads rapidly through ____ and impacts our society.
It is a bad idea to depend on social media for all of ____ information.
We need to seek out different sources as well, such as books, official news websites, and ____
This will prevent ____ from having information bias by exposing us to fresh and different perspectives.