Image Source: Numerical Algorithms Group
Have you noticed how TikTok and other social media platforms know
exactly our likes, dislikes and mental state? How does it do it? Well, through
an algorithm. An algorithm is as simple as a set of instructions, a math
equation, or as complex as an efficient code that a computer uses to follow
commands. Social media companies use that information to send us targeted
media. The Wall Street Journal in 2022 investigated how
TikTok tracks users interests. It created 100 bot accounts and assigned each
bot different interest, which were not disclosed to the app. We would not be
surprised if TikTok decided which videos to show on "for your page"
by tracking likes, follows, and shares. Yet, the Wall Street Journal discovered
that the algorithm only needs to know how long we spend watching a video and
less than 40 minutes of total usage to know all of our interests and mental
state. It is both amazing and scary that an application can learn so much about
us in such a short time. That is the beauty of an algorithm.
That raises the importance of being aware of our algorithms. They are not going to go away; they will only become more efficient and open a Pandora's box. Algorithms may lead to breakthroughs that will solve global warming and cancer, but they can also be detrimental. Firstly, it is an imperfect human that writes the algorithms and decides how to employ it. This can lead to misinformation due to limited exposure to varying perspectives. Algorithms tend to show us only news sources that share our point of view. That is why it is important that today and, in the future, we are aware of our algorithm and not fall into complacency. We need to break free of it and search for different points of views. This and many other pitfalls are discussed in the article Code-Dependent: Pros and Cons of the Algorithm Age by the Pew Research.
In my current learning space it is crucial that I become aware of the pros and cons of algorithms and learn how to navigate through them. Only then will I be able to model this behavior to my students. The modeling starts in the classroom by creating an environment that is inclusive. Common Sense Education provides several lesson plans to help students think critically about how logarithms influence their lives. The lessons include videos, readings, and student handouts. I think a good time to include this in my current math curriculum would be in the Statistics unit when students are learning about bias and sampling bias.
In conclusion, algorithms are here to stay. It is up to us, educators, to make sure that the future programmers, businesspeople, and consumers are conscientious of the perils of algorithms. If employed properly they can help humanity.
Hi Enrique,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. I also decided to study algorithms this week to learn more about how my technology is really curated to keep me engaged. I have always wondered how these apps can track my interests without ever liking or sharing a post but now I know.
Algorithms have really helped me as an educator because it does show content on my feed in which is related to the profession. I have used dozens of tips and resources I would have not found otherwise. However, I agree with you that they need to be controlled and taught to students as they are so used to the algorithm feed on their technology because they don't remember a time without it. The lessons you provided from Common Sense Media will help them realize how their technology works and will help them to be more mindful when using.
Student awareness is critical so I was so happy to see you point fellow educators to some ready-made resources to help them get started. I wonder, if someday, it will be possible for us to decide with the click of a button whether or not we want algorithms used in our accounts.
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting thought. I think there would have to mass discontent about algorithms in order to maybe one day being able to opt out of algorithms. But, from what I have seen, many people just accept or unaware of their existense.
DeleteI love the idea of individual users being able to decide if they would like algorithms to track interests to present individualized content to you. Although I find algorithms to be slightly unnerving, I do think I would still decide to allow algorithms to track my interests. Despite this, I think individuals should have the freedom to choose whether they would like this. Thank you for both of your interesting perspectives!
DeleteI think algorithms can be a good thing, but you are absolutely right in that we should try to learn more about them so that we are aware of how they might be targeting our interests. It's even more important to try to pass that information on to our students, since they often don't realize that TikTok has an algorithm, or how it works. It's both fascinating and scary, somehow! I think it would be cool to do an in-class experiment similar to the one you mentioned, where I set up a new account on an app and have my students try to train the algorithm to go a certain way. Could be interesting!
ReplyDeleteAlgorithms are fascinating. I am not just saying that because I am a math teacher :)
DeleteThat would be an interesting experiment. In high school that is activity that can be done ruing homeroom/supervisory.
Enrique, it was interesting to ready a post on algorithms since I focused on the privacy aspect this week. When I was an Instagram user I wondered why I saw the same people over and over when I had so many friends or how my husband and I would laugh over the difference in his recommended videos Vs mine. The Wall Street Journal article sounded so enlightening about how little information it truly takes for a system to learn our likes and dislikes. I also liked your mention of using this info with your math students. When teaching bias to my sixth grade math students I also discussed how things are asked and what kind of information we gather when trying to make an informed decision. With our students being constantly inundated with content I think this is an important lesson for them.
ReplyDelete