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> Social media holds a mirror up to society This would only really be the case without algorithmic influence on discoverability and what people get shown on Fa

> Social media holds a mirror up to society This would only really be the case without algorithmic influence on discoverability and what people get shown on Facebook. "Engagement" being one of the keyword here, which very much morphs this "reflection". Facebook might technically be a mirror, but if it is, it is one of those curved distorting ones you used to see at carnivals and fairs.

throwawei369 6y ago
Not in support of the above poster's views btw, but I think he gave the analogy in a broader sense. Your take on this mirror analogy is from a micro-level. I still think looking at FB from a birds-eye view, the society mirror assessment is fairly accurate.
romanhn 6y ago
That is a fair point, though in the sense of "mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all". People end up in bubbles because they're most receptive to particular type of content and that is what they end up engaging with. But yes, if it was up to me, I would kill the Share button and get an unfiltered view of my connections' updates, like in the early days.
- bopbeepboop 6y ago
  This isn’t true: Facebook allows people to target the viewers with weaponized psychology to prime that feedback loop. Further, the loops are meant to steer emotions by reordering content — something no user asked for when FB conducted its human experiments on emotional manipulation. It’s simply not true that the algorithm “reflects” what users want or interact with — it purposefully injects FB’s biases via nudges and their customers biases via weaponized psychology inserts. I think it’s telling the people defending FB’s conduct can’t be honest about what that conduct is.
ummonk 6y ago
Exactly. Arguably the algorithms are optimized for engagement, but it’s like saying opioids hold a mirror to society because so many who try them keep seeking them out.

throwawei369 6y ago

Not in support of the above poster's views btw, but I think he gave the analogy in a broader sense. Your take on this mirror analogy is from a micro-level. I still think looking at FB from a birds-eye view, the society mirror assessment is fairly accurate.

romanhn 6y ago

That is a fair point, though in the sense of "mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all". People end up in bubbles because they're most receptive to particular type of content and that is what they end up engaging with. But yes, if it was up to me, I would kill the Share button and get an unfiltered view of my connections' updates, like in the early days.

bopbeepboop 6y ago
This isn’t true: Facebook allows people to target the viewers with weaponized psychology to prime that feedback loop. Further, the loops are meant to steer emotions by reordering content — something no user asked for when FB conducted its human experiments on emotional manipulation. It’s simply not true that the algorithm “reflects” what users want or interact with — it purposefully injects FB’s biases via nudges and their customers biases via weaponized psychology inserts. I think it’s telling the people defending FB’s conduct can’t be honest about what that conduct is.

ummonk 6y ago

Exactly. Arguably the algorithms are optimized for engagement, but it’s like saying opioids hold a mirror to society because so many who try them keep seeking them out.