Co-produced with Data & Society Research Institute @datasociety
Special thanks to danah boyd, Data & Society Founder and President and Safiya Noble, author of “Algorithms of Oppression.”
TEACHERS: Learn more about this topic and how you might teach it with your students via one of our free summer PD courses: https://teach.kqed.org/misinformation-course-collection/
ABOVE THE NOISE is a show that cuts through the hype and investigates the research behind controversial and trending topics in the news. Hosted by Myles Bess.
*NEW VIDEOS EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY*
We all know how easy it is to spend hours watching videos on YouTube. Why do we go down that rabbit hole? Mostly because of a combination of computer programming and marketing know-how called ALGORITHMS.
**What are algorithms?
Algorithms are sets of instructions (created by people) that decide what content you see, and the order it’s listed, when you search online.
**How do recommendation algorithms work on YouTube?
YouTube’s algorithm captures data about videos you watch, including how long you watch. They recommend other videos based on that viewing history. They optimize advertising by selling this data to companies so they can better target you for their products.
** How do these algorithms play a role in spreading misinformation?
Digital platforms like YouTube are the gatekeepers of information, whether they intended to be or not. And media-savvy con artists and extremists groups-like conspiracy theorists and white supremacists-can take advantage of YouTube’s algorithms to push their agendas.
**What are data voids?
Propagandists often take advantage of a lack of content on a certain topic-a “data void.” This happens a lot with breaking news. It takes time for legit media outlets to fact-check and verify events and create content. Until then, Youtube will often only have false or misleading information.
** What can I do to avoid falling for misinformation?
The more precise you are with search keywords, the more likely you are to get relevant information. If your results look suspicious or click-baity, you might be in a data void. YouTube can be a good place to start your research, but you should use a wider range of sources.
SOURCES:
“Data Voids: Where Missing Data Can Easily Be Exploited,”by Michael Golebiewski, Microsoft Bing and danah boyd, Data & Society
https://datasociety.net/output/data-voids-where-missing-data-can-easily-be-exploited/
“Caleb Cain was a college dropout looking for direction. He turned to YouTube.” (The New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/06/08/technology/youtube-radical.html
“YouTube to Remove Thousands of Videos Pushing Extreme Views” (The New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/05/business/youtube-remove-extremist-videos.html?emc=edit_na_20190605&ref=headline&nl=breaking-news
“After New Zealand Massacre, YouTube’s Algorithm Still Promotes Islamophobic Videos” (Huffington Post)
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/after-new-zealand-massacre-youtubes-algorithm-is-still-promoting-islamophobic-videos_n_5c8d24d6e4b03e83bdc18529
“We Followed YouTube’s Recommendation Algorithm Down The Rabbit Hole” (Buzzfeed)
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/carolineodonovan/down-youtubes-recommendation-rabbithole
“News Use Across Social Media Platforms 2018” (Pew Research Center)
https://www.journalism.org/2018/09/10/news-use-across-social-media-platforms-2018/
“Share of U.S. adults using social media, including Facebook, is mostly unchanged since 2018” (Pew Research Center)
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/04/10/share-of-u-s-adults-using-social-media-including-facebook-is-mostly-unchanged-since-2018/
“DeepMind is asking how AI helped turn the internet into an echo chamber” (MIT Technology Review)
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/613083/deepmind-is-asking-how-google-helped-turn-the-internet-into-an-echo-chamber/
“‘Fiction is outperforming reality’: how YouTube’s algorithm distorts truth” (Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/feb/02/how-youtubes-algorithm-distorts-truth
“YouTube, the Great Radicalizer” (New York Times Op Ed)https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/10/opinion/sunday/youtube-politics-radical.html
FOR EDUCATORS
KQED Learn https://learn.kqed.org
KQED Teach https://teach.kqed.org
https://www.facebook.com/KQEDEducation
Tweets by KQEDedspace
About KQED
KQED, an NPR and PBS affiliate in San Francisco, CA, serves Northern California and beyond with a public-supported alternative to commercial TV, Radio, and web media. Funding for Above the Noise is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Silver Giving Foundation, Stuart Foundation, and William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
#YouTube algorithms #misinformation #digital literacy #data voids
