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Social Media Networks Algorithms and Their Effects

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95 views17 pages

Social Media Networks Algorithms and Their Effects

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api-744381694
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Social Media Networks: Algorithms

and Their Effects on Users


Social Media Use

● Entertaining, can connect with


friends easily, see cool content,
explore new ideas, communicate
● Why are some platforms more
interesting/successful than others?
Main platforms responsible: TikTok, Instagram, Meta

“These platforms’ algorithms effectively function to keep users engaged and


scrolling through content,” (Time Magazine).
Networks
● Everything in our world is bound together by networks and mathematics
○ Galaxies, neural network in brain, internet, social networks

Neural Network Cosmic Web


Graph Theory and Social Media

● Graph Theory: Graphs


consist of nodes
(dots/vertices) and edges
(lines/paths) connecting
them
● Social network: Each user is
a node, and each connection
between them is an edge
Graphs & Examples in Social Media

● Undirected Graph: Two users mutually follow/interact with each other


● Directed: User follows/interacts with another user, not reciprocated
● Weighted: Concentration of how frequent interaction between users are
Graph Theory, Reed’s Law, Triadic Closure

● Algorithms use knowledge of


connections between users to
output individually designed
content

○ Specifically tailored posts, suggested followers, notifications


from people you interact with more
Reed’s Law and Triadic Closure

Reed’s Law: Growth of social networks increases with # of


sub-groups that can form within

Triadic Closure: 2 nodes, no edges


connecting them - large chance of 3rd
node connecting both
Social media & our reward
center/dopamine

UCLA Newsroom, The Teenage Brain on Social Media by Lauren Sherman


Who is most at risk?

● Adolescents, due to not fully


developed brains
● Prefrontal cortex is not matured,
responsible for decision making
and impulse control
● Search for highly-stimulating
and rewarding activities
What increases susceptibility?

● Socioeconomic status
● Identity (genetic predispositions, personality, external environment,
race, experiences)
● Regardless, everyone can still be affected to different extents
“Social Networking Site Addiction” (SNS)

Nature: Qinghua He, Ofir Turel & Antoine Bechara “Brain anatomy alterations associated with Social Networking Site (SNS)
addiction”
“Amygdala gray matter volume (GMV) or density is correlated
with magnitude of stress and anxiety in the normal population, and
the change of amygdala volume is a neural signature of a variety
of emotion-related disorders”
(NCBI, The Gray Matter Volume of the Amygdala Is Correlated with the Perception of Melodic Intervals: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study)
Social Media & Sleep

● Notifications

● Disruptive addiction

● Blue light suppresses


melatonin production and
disrupts circadian sleep
patterns
(Harvard Health “Blue Light Has a Dark Side”) “
Social Media Use and Sleep Disturbance among Adolescents: A Cro
ss-Sectional Study
”, by Pirdehghan A, Khezmeh E, Panahi S
Overall, social media is extremely innovative and engaging.

But one must tread lightly, because misuse can become a dangerous
venture, one where the long-term effects are still unknown.
Works Cited
Arginteanu, Marc. “Opinion: I’m a Neurosurgeon. Social Media May Change Your Kid’s Brain.” Medical
News, MedpageToday, 21 Oct. 2023, www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/kevinmd/106919.
Burke, Michael G. “Social Media and Sleep Duration--There Is a Connection! (PUBLISHED
IN ACTA PAEDIATRICA).” Contemporary pediatrics (Montvale, N.J.) 35.5 (2018): 12–12. Print.
He, Qinghua, et al. “Brain Anatomy Alterations Associated with Social Networking Site (SNS) Addiction.” Nature News,
Nature Publishing Group, 23 Mar. 2017, www.nature.com/articles/srep45064.
Health, Harvard. “Blue Light Has a Dark Side.” Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, 7 July 2020,
www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side.
McCluskey, Megan. “Will 2022 Be the Year of Reckoning for Addictive Algorithms?” Time, Time, 4 Jan. 2022,
time.com/6127981/addictive-algorithms-2022-facebook-instagram/.
S;, Pirdehghan A;Khezmeh E;Panahi. “Social Media Use and Sleep Disturbance among Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional
Study.” Iranian Journal of Psychiatry, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34221039/. Accessed
18 Mar. 2024.
Wolpert, Stuart. “The Teenage Brain on Social Media.” UCLA, UCLA, 1 June 2016,
newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/the-teenage-brain-on-social-media.

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