Humans vs. the Algorithm

Technology is king and algorithms is its army. For those who need a clear definition of algorithm, Myles Bess who researches these issues stated it's, "for online platforms, a set of instructions that decide what content you see, and in what order you see it"

Source: CU Management '

To provide an example of the power of algorithms and high school students, my colleague took a survey of how many of his students would receive a Corona Virus vaccine and the results were astonishing. Three out of seventy sentences said they would get vaccinated. I asked my students where they came to believe vaccines were bad and the majority said, "social media." Mayday we have a problem and education has an answer. 

    I read three impactful sources to brainstorm ways to confront modern delusion. The first source, SmarterEveryDay, is moderated by an experienced Youtuber, Destin and interviews Renne Diresta, a seasoned social media researcher. Destin's main focus is the power and vulnerability of the human heart as he says, Youtube, “it’s taking advantage of one flaw in your heart, the desire to fight with your neighbor..these people make us hate each other and then we give them their money.” Destin strays away from blaming Youtube but finds fault in human nature that is exploited by powerful actors and forces both economic and partisan within and outside of Youtube. They both credit the manipulatory nature of Youtube due to mostly economic and partisan parties. I am excited to encourage my students to download an Express VPN, a way to block bad actors from taking advantage of your cyber whereabouts.

    Host for the radio, podcast, and news organization KQED, Myles Bess, moderated Youtube Algorithms: How To Avoid the Rabbit Hole. The Youtube video was only six minutes and clearly broke down the reasons people using the network will find themselves in the, as he calls, "data void." It sure looks pretty as the image below would have you think but the consequences of the "data void" could leave you ungrounded and stranded in cyber-space without the tools to engage in the real world or at least in both worlds.

Image Source: Giphy.com

Many of my students are living in the "data void" and consequently are late to school, often trail off during class, and many have stated they have trouble sleeping. Bess was less forgiving of Youtube and the impulses of the hateful human heart but attacked the core of the Youtube business model: "keep people watching." To counter-act fake news, Bess recommends, being specific when researching a topic on Youtube. Students need to know if they find themselves impulsively debating triggering issues that are bringing them no peace of mind, understand, Youtube is making money off that discontent. The question is, how do I build a lesson plan that's fun, engaging, stimulating that hits those points? Suggestions...

Lastly, I listened to the podcast featured in the educational powerhouse, Teaching Tolerance, which featured a seasoned teacher describing the positives of implementing a social media culture within the classroom. Alicia Johal, a science teacher, described how she elicits attention, encouraged questioning, and features classroom work within her classroom and her class Instagram page. She cited 9/10 teachers do not use social media within her class. I thought about making a class TikTok page and how great it could be to showcase some of our ethical dilemmas we will embark on in quarter 4. 

All in all, this image sums it up: 

Image Source: Facebook Post

Perhaps within the onslaught of misinformation, media manipulation, hate baiting, and money-making: smiling could still save the day. Real joy and laughter, like the cat innocent cat videos that first set Youtube on fire. If students are taught to engage with love, peace, a calm mind, and ask the two essential questions: is this helpful? Is this kind? Sounds a bit easy and cheesy, sure is. 

I can't pretend like I have any clue into the future besides an unyielding hope for humanity to finally enter the compassionate web of interconnected existence and did I mention, I'm a Taurus (an inside joke between myself and my last blog post)😅.

Image source: Giphy.com