As well as the algorithm, there are also structural things.
For example tweets limited to 160 characters favor simplistic solutions, which the far right provide. An endless stream of random unrelated nuggets of ideas create a fugue of confusion, perfect for injecting disinformation. Ruined attention spans can only grasp simplistic solutions. Video-based media means surface appearance matters more than substance. And so on.
Yeah I really couldn’t agree more. I really harped on the importance of other properties of the medium, like brevity, when I reviewed the book #HashtagActivism, and how those too are structurally right wing. There’s a lot of scholars doing these kinds of network studies and imo they way too often emphasize user-user dynamics and de-emphasize, if not totally omit, the fact that all these interactions are heavily mediated. Just this week I watched a talk that I thought had many of these same problems.
As well as the algorithm, there are also structural things.
For example tweets limited to 160 characters favor simplistic solutions, which the far right provide. An endless stream of random unrelated nuggets of ideas create a fugue of confusion, perfect for injecting disinformation. Ruined attention spans can only grasp simplistic solutions. Video-based media means surface appearance matters more than substance. And so on.
Yeah I really couldn’t agree more. I really harped on the importance of other properties of the medium, like brevity, when I reviewed the book #HashtagActivism, and how those too are structurally right wing. There’s a lot of scholars doing these kinds of network studies and imo they way too often emphasize user-user dynamics and de-emphasize, if not totally omit, the fact that all these interactions are heavily mediated. Just this week I watched a talk that I thought had many of these same problems.