this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2026
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Social media algorithms shape the beliefs people form /// Even small changes to content curation algorithms can shape what people come to believe—for better or worse. (www.mpg.de)
submitted 3 hours ago by homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
4 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/tech/p/1305963/social-media-algorithms-shape-the-beliefs-people-form-even-small-changes-to-content-cura

Research Paper.

  • Algorithms shape the beliefs people form: Simple changes to content curation algorithms can affect beliefs, consensus, and belief accuracy.
  • Personalized engagement-based ranking can be problematic: Although users perceive these feeds positively, they tend to lead to less consensus and less accurate beliefs.
  • Consensus is possible: Bridging-based ranking can help promote consensus by surfacing content that receives approval across different groups.
  • Belief accuracy can be improved: Intelligence-based ranking can promote more accurate collective and individual judgments.
  • Small algorithmic changes can have large effects: Simple changes to how posts are sampled and ranked can substantially influence the beliefs people form.
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[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

For . . . better??

[–] EliteCloneMike@lemmy.zip 2 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

For the betterment of the shareholders. :/

Edit: But seriously, what do they mean by “better”? Maybe there was potential and still is to educate people and improve critical thinking skills to assess what they are being fed instead of blindly trusting algorithmic output. Thats more of a fundamental issue than the algorithms though.