Subverting the algorithm : examining anti-algorithmic tactics on social media
Name
1192966642-MIT.pdf
Size
2.08 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
c982c95c6c2d492cd7b135ab81cb7ad6
Author(s)
Chung, Anna Woorim.
Advisor(s)
Ethan Zuckerman.
Alternative Title
Examining anti-algorithmic tactics on social media
Date Issued
2020
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
As social media users have become increasingly aware of algorithms and their potentially negative effects, I argue that some users are challenging algorithmic systems of control. This thesis examines anti-algorithmic tactics on online platforms -- ways in which users actively aim to subvert algorithmic systems. I investigate anti-algorithmic tactics through two case studies of social media users responding to algorithmic content moderation and content curation. The first case study investigates how Black Facebook users have used alternative spellings to avoid detection by content moderation algorithms. The second case study investigates how users of Gobo, a social media browsing tool, have used tactics to minimize the influence of content curation algorithms on their social media feeds. In these case studies, I conduct close readings of public social media posts and interviews with social media users to better understand the perceptions around algorithms and motivations for anti-algorithmic tactics. Based on insights from these case studies, I conclude this thesis by discussing design frameworks that address concerns around transparency and user agency in algorithmic systems.
Description
Thesis: S.M. in Comparative Media Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Comparative Media Studies/Writing, May, 2020
Cataloged from the official PDF of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 71-73).
Subjects
Comparative Media Studies.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Program in Comparative Media Studies/Writing
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MIT theses may be protected by copyright. Please reuse MIT thesis content according to the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy, which is available through the URL provided.
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