Social Media Content

Muhammad Haroon on How Social Media Algorithms Can Foster Political Radicalization

Soterios J Johnson — December 13, 2022 - 12:24am

A new study from �ٺ��Ƶ suggests that artificial intelligence recommendation algorithms on sites like YouTube and TikTok can play a role in political radicalization. In this episode, �ٺ��Ƶ computer science Ph.D. student Muhammad Haroon, who led the study, discusses how the study was designed, what the team found, and a new digital tool they created to mitigate the radicalizing effect of social media platform AI algorithms.

�ٺ��Ƶ Study Finds Tweets Can Amplify, Disrupt, Unite and Divide

Karen Michele Nikos — April 13, 2023 - 11:00am

Social media connects people and amplifies different aspects of humanity in good and bad ways. But the effects of social media appear neither universally good nor bad, but rather present an oscillating, dynamic system that can be divisive but also uniting, a new University of California, Davis, study suggests.

What Happens With Twitter Now?

Karen Michele Nikos — December 07, 2022 - 1:45pm

Two �ٺ��Ƶ researchers who are experts in social media talk about the changes in Twitter ownership and what that means for consumers.

The Conversation: What Is the Connection Between Social Media Use and Vaccine Hesitancy?

Karen Michele Nikos — November 04, 2022 - 3:29pm

People who consume a lot of news on social media are more likely to be skeptical of COVID-19 vaccines. News literacy makes people less so.

Most Twitter Users Don’t Follow Political Elites, Researchers Suggest

Karen Michele Nikos — September 30, 2022 - 11:00am

While social media platforms are the primary source of political information for a growing number of people, a majority of Twitter users do not follow either members of Congress, their president or news media, a new study suggests.

They are much more likely to follow Tom Hanks or Katy Perry than an elected official.

Has Social Media Discourse Affected People’s Hesitancy to Get Vaccinated Against COVID?

Karen Michele Nikos — September 21, 2022 - 10:30am

Researchers from �ٺ��Ƶ looked at how the politically polarized nature of COVID-19 information, and misinformation, on social media has given rise to anxiety, sadness, anger and hostility that feeds incivility.

How Automated YouTube Recommendations Foster Polarization

Andy Fell — August 25, 2022 - 11:58am

�ٺ��Ƶ computer scientists create YouTube Audit site, showing how recommendation algorithms steer left- or right-leaning users to more extreme content.

COVID-19 Beliefs Influenced by Politicians, Not Scientists, Researchers Suggest

Karen Michele Nikos — March 09, 2022 - 9:20am

As COVID-19 upended societal norms when it swept through the United States in 2020, a second pandemic — or “infodemic”— was also on the rise.

New Episode of The Backdrop Podcast Released

Soterios J Johnson — February 25, 2021 - 11:35am

Conventional wisdom has held that as people are exposed to more partisan news, they become more polarized. But a new study finds that’s not so. On this month’s episode of The Backdrop, Magdalena Wojcieszak discusses a couple of new studies she has co-authored that found no correlation between media exposure and political polarization.

Vaccine Myths on Social Media Can Be Effectively Reduced With Credible Fact Checking

Karen Michele Nikos — January 07, 2021 - 10:12am

Social media misinformation can negatively influence people’s attitudes about vaccine safety and effectiveness, but credible organizations — such as research universities and health institutions — can play a pivotal role in debunking myths with simple tags that link to factual information, University of California, Davis, researchers, suggest in a new study.

Researchers found that fact-check tags located immediately below or near a post can generate more positive attitudes toward vaccines than misinformation alone, and perceived source expertise makes a difference.