It’s All about the Algorithm 0
Speaking of “social” media, Dr. Michael Birnbaum, writing at Psychology Today Blogs, points out that more and more young people are turning to Dr. TikTok (emphasis added):
(snip)
Social media-based algorithms may impact and influence help-seeking in ways that were previously impossible and unimaginable (both for the better and for the worse). As a mental health professional working with young people, who are nearly constantly connected to the Internet, my job is often to help them navigate the wealth of information available online to determine what’s good and what’s bad. A critical question for me and many others in this field is how might a person’s social media feed change or evolve as a result of their online activity and if that change can influence important decisions, like the decision to seek mental health care.
Given that “social” media companies seem to act without considering the implications of their actions and that persons seem willing to believe anything they read on a screen (and the more dubious the source, the more credence they give it), I agree with him that more research is needed. And I think his article is well worth a read in the light of the current state of dis coarse discourse.
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*Methinks he might have found a more appropriate word than “exciting.” Maybe “compelling” or “urgent.”
