JOHN: MARK ZUCKERBERG HAVE BEEN QUOTED AS SAYING SOCIAL MEDIA IS A REFLECTION OF SOCIETY.
BUT RESEARCHERS AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY CONCLUDED IT IS NOT AN ACCURATE REFLECTION.
THEY SAY IT IS MORE LIKE A FUN HOUSE MIRROR, DISTORTED BY A SMALL BUT VOCAL MINORITY OF EXTREME OUTLIERS.
IT IS A FINDING THAT HAS SPECIAL RESONANCE IN THIS ELECTION SEASON.
THE PSYCHOLOGY PRESSER IS ONE OF THE AUTHORS OF THE PAPER THAT REPORTED THE RESEARCH.
ARE THERE PARTICULAR TOPICS THAT TEND TO BE DISTORTED MORE THAN OTHERS?
>> IT TENDS TO HAPPEN FOR ALL KINDS OF ISSUES ONLINE.
THERE ARE MANY ISSUES WITH FLS THE 1% OF PEOPLE ARE SPREADING THE MOST AMOUNT OF MISINFORMATION.
JOHN: IS IT POSSIBLE TO CHARACTERIZE WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE AND WHY THEY ARE DOING IT?
>> ONE OF THE BIG FACTORS THAT SEEMS TO BE DRIVING THIS IS IT IS PEOPLE WITH EXTREME BELIEFS OR POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES.
THEY TEND TO BE POSTING BY FAR THE MOST CONTENT.
THEREFORE, WHEN WE TUNE IN WE ARE MAINLY SEEING VIEWS FROM EXTREMES.
JOHN: WHAT MOTIVATES THEM?
WHY ARE THEY DOING IT?
>> THEY ARE MOTIVATED BY A LOT OF REASONS.
THEY MAY BE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT MOTIVATES THEM TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS.
MANY PEOPLE ARE DOING IT BECAUSE THEY ARE TRYING TO CONVINCE OTHERS AND PUSH THEIR BELIEFS BUT ALSO A LITTLE LIKE PROPAGANDA.
JOHN: YOU SAY IT IS ALL SORTS OF TOPICS.
ARE THERE SOME PARTICULARLY PREVALENT IN THIS MANNER?
>> ONE OF THE BIG ONES IS POLITICS.
A VERY SMALL PROPORTION OF PEOPLE ARE POSTING VAST MAJORITY OF CONTENT ABOUT POLITICAL ISSUES.
JOHN: WHAT IS THE REAL WORLD EFFECT?
>> WHEN PEOPLE TUNE IN, THEY GET MISPERCEPTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE AVERAGE PERSON BELIEVES.
IF I LOG INTO SOCIAL MEDIA SEE POST AFTER POST BY PEOPLE WHO ARE EXTREME, IT MISLEADS ME ON WHAT THE AVERAGE PERSON BELIEVES.
JOHN: WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF THAT?
>> WE THINK PEOPLE ARE MORE EXTREME IN THE REAL WORLD THAN THEY ACTUALLY ARE.
THAT CAN LEAD US TO DISENGAGE FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM US OR BELONG TO DIFFERENT PARTIES OR GROUPS?
JOHN: WHAT IS THE CHICKEN AND THE EGG?
THE POLITICAL DIVISIONS DRIVE THE DISTORTION OR THE DISTORTION DRIVES THE DIVISION?
>> WE THINK IT IS BOTH.
WE ARE AT THE POINT OF POLARIZATION IN AMERICA GREATER THAN ANY POINT IN THE LAST 40 YEARS.
IT IS DRIVEN MORE BY OUT-GROUP HATE THAN IN-GROUP LOVE.
IT CREATES THIS MISPERCEPTION OF REALITY THAT INFECTS THE REST OF OUR MINDS AND MAKES US MISPERCEIVE WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS BELIEVE.
JOHN: THE WALL STREET JOURNAL GOT INTERNAL DOCUMENTS FROM FACEBOOK.
THEY FOUND, THEY WERE LOOKING AT CHANGES IN THE ALGORITHM TO ADDRESS THE DIVISION AND SENSATIONALISM.
IT SAID MARK ZUCKERBERG WAS RESISTANT BECAUSE HE FEARED IT WOULD REDUCE ENGAGEMENT.
THAT THIS SORT OF THING IS WHAT IS DRIVING THINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
IS THERE A WAY TO CHANGE IT OR FIX IT IF THAT IS THEIR BUSINESS MODEL?
>> YEAH.
I WILL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THE STUDY WE FINISHED.
WE PAID PEOPLE A FEW DOLLARS TO UNFOLLOW SOME OF THE MOST HYPER-PARTISAN ACCOUNTS ON TWITTER OR X.
AFTER A FEW WEEKS, WE PAID THEM THEIR MONEY AND SAID YOU CAN READ FOLLOW THESE ACCOUNTS.
MOST PEOPLE CHOSE NOT TO READ FOLLOW.
WE FOUND THE IMPACT LASTED UP TO 11 MONTHS.
THEY HAD LESS PARTISAN ANIMOSITY, THEY WERE SHARING MORE ACCURATE INFORMATION.
IT TURNS OUT IF PEOPLE STOP FOLLOWING THE ACCOUNTS, THEY FEEL BETTER AND BECOME LESS HOSTILE.
GIVEN THE CHANCE, THEY DO NOT WANT TO RE-FOLLOW THEM.
JOHN: IF YOU DON'T HAVE A GRANT TO PAY THEM, HOW DO YOU GET PEOPLE TO STOP FOLLOWING THEM?
>> EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT THE RESULTS.
I WILL SAY THIS TO MARK ZUCKERBERG.
WE MEASURED ENGAGEMENT AND THIS DID NOT REDUCE ENGAGEMENT.
WE PAID PEOPLE TO FOLLOW ACCOUNTS THAT WERE UPLIFTING AND EDUCATIONAL AND INTERESTING.
PEOPLE ACTUALLY FELT A GREATER SENSE OF WELL-BEING AND WANTED TO CONTINUE FOLLOWING THOSE ACCOUNTS.
IF PEOPLE CONSIDER THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA FEED LIKE THEIR DIET AND TRY TO MAKE IT HEALTHIER, IT CAN HAVE A BIG EFFECT ON THEIR WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF INFORMATION THEY GET.
JOHN: WHAT ABOUT THE SUPPLY-SIDE?
YOU TALK ABOUT THE DEMAND FOR THE ACCOUNTS.
HOW DO YOU IMPROVE THE INCENTIVES FOR THIS?
A LOT OF IT IS BECAUSE THESE ARE THE SORTS OF THINGS THAT GET REPOSTED.
>> THAT IS THE PROBLEM.
IT TURNS OUT EXTREME PEOPLE ARE POSTING THIS AND AMPLIFYING CONTENT SHARED BY OTHERS.
THIS CAN BE REALLY DANGEROUS.
THIS HAPPENED ON FACEBOOK DURING THE PANDEMIC WHERE THEY WERE CALLED THE DISINFORMATION DOZEN.
THE ORIGIN OF OVER 60% OF THE MISINFORMATION ABOUT VACCINES.
FACEBOOK GOT RID OF THEM.
THE INCENTIVE STRUCTURE FOR THOSE ACCOUNTS WAS NOT ONLY ENGAGEMENT BUT THEY WERE MAKING MONEY.
ALMOST ALL OF THEM WERE SELLING DUBIOUS HEALTH PRODUCTS ON THEIR WEBSITES.
THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE AN ECONOMIC INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO PUSH EXTREME AND MISLEADING INFORMATION.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE THOSE INCENTIVES FOR THEM.
JOHN: WHAT CAN SOMEONE WHO IS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND WANTS TO BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA DO TO AVOID THESE INFLUENCES?
>> YOU CAN LOOK AT OR UPLIFTING INFORMATION AND WHO IS TRYING TO TURN YOU AGAINST OTHER GROUPS OR PEOPLE.
YOU CAN DO A LITTLE BIT TO CURATE IT.
EVERY NEW YEAR'S EVE, MOST PEOPLE SET A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION TO HAVE A HEALTHIER DIET OR EXERCISE MORE, SPEND MORE TIME WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS.
WE CAN THINK ABOUT MAKING THIS ONE OF OUR GOALS AND RESOLUTIONS.
WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT MY INFORMATION DIET TO MAKE IT HEALTHIER FOR ME, TO CREATE A BETTER SENSE OF WELL-BEING, TO REDUCE THE FEELING OF ANIMOSITY TOWARDS OTHER PEOPLE?
JOHN: ANOTHER NEW YEAR'S EVE RESOLUTION TO CONSIDER.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
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