The Endless-Cycle of Social Media | Kaitlyn Don | TEDxLAHS
Summary
TLDRCaitlin, a high school sophomore and founder of an Ethics and Social Media club, shares her journey from gullibility to critical thinking, spurred by a debate on animal experimentation. She highlights the challenge of discerning reliable information in the digital age, citing a Stanford study and the deceptive nature of some websites. Caitlin discusses the impact of algorithm-driven filter bubbles on social media, particularly TikTok, and the broader implications for society. She emphasizes the importance of understanding multiple perspectives, cross-checking evidence, and taking proactive steps to form well-informed opinions to combat misinformation and polarization.
Takeaways
- π Caitlin is a high school sophomore who started an Ethics and Social Media Club.
- π She admits to being gullible and having an innocent view of reality, which was challenged by her first debate topic on animal experimentation.
- π§ Caitlin's first awakening to the difference between reliable and unreliable information came during a debate class when she found her key evidence was from a Star Trek fandom website.
- π The Stanford History Education Research Group found that about 67% of Americans still get confused by fake news, highlighting the difficulty in discerning credible sources.
- π Even highly educated students struggle with determining the credibility of websites, as shown by a study where only 6% of college students and 9% of high school students correctly assessed minimumwage.com.
- π The script discusses the concept of reinforcement bubbles or filter bubbles, which are intellectual isolations created by algorithms that selectively assume information about users and provide content accordingly.
- π Social media platforms, like TikTok, use sophisticated algorithms to personalize content, which can lead to users becoming addicted and trapped in their own interests.
- π’ The TikTok algorithm was created by a Chinese company called ByteDance, which is now selling its AI technology to other businesses, competing with tech giants like IBM, AWS, Microsoft, and Google.
- π Personalized algorithms affect our world by curating content to our tastes, which can lead to radical extremism and political division due to the reinforcement of existing beliefs.
- π€ Caitlin suggests that to combat this, we should understand all sides of an issue, research thoroughly, engage in conversations, and cross-check evidence to form informed opinions.
- πͺ She emphasizes the importance of being proactive in seeking out information and breaking out of reinforcement bubbles to make informed decisions and change the world.
Q & A
Who is Caitlin and what is her current educational status?
-Caitlin is a high school sophomore who has started an Ethics and Social Media Club at her school.
What was Caitlin's first debate topic and how did it lead to her first awakening about information reliability?
-Caitlin's first debate topic was animal experimentation. Her first awakening about the difference between reliable and unreliable information came when she found an article from a 'Star Trek' fandom website, which she initially thought was a key piece of evidence for her debate.
According to Caitlin, what percentage of Americans get confused by fake news?
-Caitlin mentions that about 67% of all Americans still get confused by fake news, as per a study conducted by the Stanford History Education Research Group.
What was the website that both high school and college students found difficult to assess for credibility?
-The website that both high school and college students found difficult to assess for credibility was minimumwage.com.
What is a reinforcement bubble or a filter bubble?
-A reinforcement bubble or a filter bubble is the intellectual isolation that occurs when websites use algorithms to selectively assume information about its users and then provide information back to the users according to these assumptions.
How does the TikTok algorithm work to keep users engaged?
-The TikTok algorithm takes into account which posts users like, comment on, and share, the hashtags and descriptions in comments, as well as the 'not interested' feedback from users. Most importantly, it considers the number of seconds users spend watching each video to personalize content and keep users addicted.
Which Chinese company created the TikTok algorithm and what is its new division called?
-The TikTok algorithm was created by a Chinese company called ByteDance. Their new division is called Byte Plus, which focuses on altering the algorithm to better fit other companies' needs and selling this AI power technology to businesses outside of China.
What is the role of recommender systems in news websites like BBC and CBC?
-Recommender systems in news websites like BBC and CBC are used to provide content that will engage users the most, pushing them further into their filter bubbles by giving them information that they would like to see.
Why are reinforcement bubbles created by news websites considered alarming according to Caitlin?
-Reinforcement bubbles created by news websites are considered alarming because they can create radical extremists who are not willing to change their opinion, leading to people becoming more blind to the realities of the world and contributing to tense political divisions.
What solution does Caitlin propose to deal with the issue of reinforcement bubbles and fake news?
-Caitlin proposes that people should seek a deeper understanding of each issue by researching both sides of an argument, starting with trusted sources. She also emphasizes the importance of having conversations about different issues and cross-checking evidence to ensure it is not false information.
What is the key message Caitlin wants to convey in her speech?
-Caitlin's key message is the importance of seeking out one's own evidence and making informed opinions instead of blindly believing anything we read. She encourages people to be proactive in seeking information and to pop the reinforcement bubbles they have been placed in.
Outlines
π² The Awakening to Reliable Information
Caitlin, a high school sophomore, introduces herself and her journey with the Ethics and Social Media Club. She recounts her first debate on animal experimentation, which led to a pivotal moment when she discovered her key evidence was from a 'Star Trek' fan site. This experience taught her the importance of distinguishing between reliable and unreliable information. Caitlin highlights a study by the Stanford History Education Research Group, which found that a significant portion of Americans struggle with discerning fake news. She emphasizes the difficulty of this task, even for highly educated individuals, using the example of a website that appeared credible but was actually a front for a public relations firm.
π The Impact of Algorithms on Perception
The script delves into the power of algorithms, particularly those used by social media platforms like TikTok, to create reinforcement bubbles. TikTok's algorithm is highlighted for its ability to quickly identify and cater to user interests, potentially leading to intellectual isolation. The script discusses ByteDance, the Chinese company behind TikTok, and its new division focused on selling AI technology to businesses globally. The widespread personalization of online content, including news from reputable sources like the BBC and CBC, is shown to contribute to the formation of filter bubbles. This phenomenon is linked to political division and the rise of radical extremism, as people become less open to diverse viewpoints.
π Breaking the Bubble: Seeking Truth and Understanding
Caitlin concludes by advocating for proactive measures to counteract the effects of reinforcement bubbles. Drawing from her experience as a debater, she stresses the importance of understanding all sides of an issue. She suggests starting with trusted sources to learn the history of topics and engaging in conversations and reading opinion articles to expose oneself to different viewpoints. Caitlin also emphasizes the need to cross-check information and maintain a healthy skepticism towards all sources, urging individuals to form their own opinions based on factual evidence rather than blindly accepting information.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Ethics
π‘Screenager
π‘Debating
π‘Reliable Information
π‘Fake News
π‘Filter Bubble
π‘Social Media Algorithms
π‘ByteDance
π‘Recommender Systems
π‘Political Division
π‘Unbiased Opinions
Highlights
Introduction of Caitlin, a sophomore in high school and founder of the Ethics and Social Media Club.
Caitlin identifies herself as a screenager, reflecting on the impact of modern technology on her generation.
Recalling her first debate class in fifth grade on the topic of animal experimentation.
The pivotal moment when Caitlin discovered the importance of reliable sources in her debate research.
Misidentifying a Star Trek fandom website as a credible source, leading to her first realization about misinformation.
The challenge of discerning reliable information, even after years of practice, highlighted by Caitlin's experience.
Citing a study by the Stanford History Education Research Group on the prevalence of confusion around fake news among Americans.
Discussing the difficulty in assessing the credibility of a website, minimumwage.com, even among educated students.
Revealing that minimumwage.com is actually owned by a public relations firm, not a non-profit as it claims.
Exploring the concept of reinforcement bubbles or filter bubbles created by algorithms on social media platforms.
Describing TikTok's algorithm as highly effective in personalizing content and potentially addictive.
Mentioning a Wall Street Journal study where TikTok's algorithm quickly identified the interests of bots.
Introducing ByteDance, the Chinese company behind TikTok, and their advancements in AI technology.
ByteDance's new division, Byte Plus, aims to sell AI technology to businesses outside of China.
Highlighting the competition ByteDance poses to major tech companies like IBM, AWS, Microsoft, and Google.
Discussing the impact of personalized content on the world, including the BBC's use of recommender systems.
The concern that filter bubbles can lead to radical extremism and political division.
Caitlin's approach to understanding issues by researching both sides, inspired by her experience as a debater.
The importance of seeking diverse opinions and cross-checking evidence to avoid misinformation.
Encouraging proactive information seeking and critical thinking to break out of reinforcement bubbles.
The call to action for individuals to be informed and to take steps to change the status quo.
Transcripts
[Music]
hi everyone i'm caitlin
so today we're just going to get started
with a little bit about me
i'm a sophomore in high school and
this year i started the ethics and
social media club now i could go on and
on about the different extracurriculars
i do however at the end of the day i'm
just
a screen ager
trying to distract myself in modern day
reality
now
it's always been
in my nature to be very gullible
but i was very content to stay in my
innocent projection of reality
this all came crashing down in fifth
grade when my mom signed me up for
debate classes
my first topic
animal experimentation
fun right
with the help of my coach i dove head
first into a life of lab rats and lab
mice
to discuss the ethicalness of animal
testing
after hours of pouring over research i
finally came to my key piece of
evidence
an article stating that researchers had
developed an ai that could
act and act like a regular human brain
thus making animal testing completely
unnecessary
i raced to my teacher giddy with
excitement
however
she showed me that my evidence was from
a star trek fandom website
this was my first awakening to the
difference between reliable and
unreliable information
this realization forced me to constantly
check the information that i was looking
at
and even after years of practice this
can still be very difficult
in fact
about 67 of all americans still
get confused by fake news
in a study done by the stanford history
sanford history education research group
thousands of middle school students high
school students and college students
were all administered different
one in particular was extremely
difficult
both ap u.s history students and
stanford graduate under
stanford undergraduate students were
given one website and to hold to
determine its credibility
minimumwage.com
the results
only six percent of college students and
nine percent of high school students
were able to determine its credibility
this was not
unexpected the website cites sources
from the new york times and the columbia
journalism review
furthermore
its about page
states that it's a
non-profit or research organization
dedicated to studying public policy
surrounding uh employment growth
everything about this website
practically screens
credible however
in reality this website is owned by a
public relations firm dedicated
that represents the restaurant industry
and its owner is notorious for creating
official sounding non-profit
organizations
at the end of the day
this is only this is all
uh known information vital but still
known
however people don't realize that the
true issue at hand are the harmful
reinforcement bubbles that have been
created by
and affected by fake news
a reinforcement bubble or a filter
bubble is the intellectual isolation
that can occur when websites make use of
algorithms to selectively assume
information about its users and then
give information back to the users
according to this assumption
social media platforms all curate
personalized content to show each
individual
it takes into account almost everything
that can be observed online
recently
tick tock has been able to create the
perfect algorithm to keep people
addicted
they take into account which posts users
like comment and share
the
hashtags and descriptions in comments
as well as the not interested feedback
that users can give
however
most importantly
they take into account the number of
seconds that users spend watching each
video
in a study done by the wall street
journal
a hundred bots were sent onto tick-tock
each personalized and customized with
their own likes and interests
they never interacted with any of the
videos
besides watching them
um
and within two hours
the tick tocks algorithm had managed to
figure out each bot's
interests from then on the bots were
stuck on a side of tick tock that match
their interests that they were unable to
get out of
there is no doubt that computers are
very smart however tick tock's algorithm
compared to other algorithms
is almost omniscient
many have reported that the videos that
have popped up on their for you page
have helped them to discover their
sexuality and even unpack their
childhood trauma
pretty scary right
this highly
complex algorithm was created by a
chinese company called bike dance
and they have already begun to celebrate
their algorithm
recently bike dance created
byte plus
this division
this new division in the company focused
on alternate altering the algorithm to
better fit other companies and their
needs
and then selling this ai power
technology to businesses outside of
china
and the few short months that this
division has been open
the algorithm has been able was sold to
goat chili belly and wago
bite dance algorithm is so
advanced that the financial times
believes it to be directly competing
with large companies such as ibm
aws
microsoft and even google
and it's only a matter of time before
bike dance sells its algorithm to even
more companies
so
how do these algorithms affect our world
on a large scale
almost everything that can be seen
online has been personalized and curated
to our taste
since january of 2022 the bbc
has had over 1
billion visits to its website
thus making it the world's most used and
popular website in the world
both the bbc and its partner
organization the cbc
use recommender systems
essentially the world's most powerful
and reliable
news sources try to give you content
that will engage you the most
this pushes you further into your filter
bubble by giving you information that
you would like to see
the reinforcement bubbles created by
news websites are particularly alarming
because they create radical extremists
who are not willing to change their
opinion
in other words
many be people are becoming more blind
to the realities of the world
this has led to a tense political
division
that has never been seen before
so what's the solution
it is vital for us to be able to
understand all sides in each issue that
we face
as a debater i have to focus and argue
for both the affirmative and the
negative side for each argument
this has given me the opportunity to
seek a deeper understanding
and unders of each issue because i can
understand both sides
i often have very unbiased opinions and
understand that my knowledge is limited
i thoroughly research both sides of an
argument by starting at the beginning i
go to government websites
sources from schools and other trusted
sources to help learn the history behind
the issue
the best way to be exposed to different
new and
ideas and beliefs are to get people's
opinions
having conversations about different
issues is very important however
going to opinion articles is even more
helpful because you can read and
understand each person's viewpoint as
well as their supporting evidence
it's also vital to cross-check your
evidence to ensure that you are not
finding more false information
however you must realize that everything
you read or hear should be taken with a
grain of salt
no one is a hundred percent unbiased and
everyone has their own opinions and
motives
if we can understand this then more
people are going to be able to use
factual evidence to formulate their own
opinions
this helps people to stop being ignorant
to the world around them
and learn different arguments for each
topic
we must seek out our own evidence and
make informed opinions inside of blindly
believing anything we read
we must pop the reinforcement bubbles
that have been that we have been placed
in
be proactive
don't just let evidence and information
flow to you instead seek out your own
information
because by acting
we are helping
we must act because actions change
things
thank you
[Applause]
[Music]
you
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