The Impact of Social Media Algorithms
Project overview
We will be teaming up with researchers from different universities across the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) School for Public Health Research (SPHR) to explore how young people understand social media algorithms – which determine the content that social media users see in their recommended content – and how these algorithms may expose them to content that may be beneficial or harmful to their mental health and wellbeing.
To do this we will ask 25 young people (aged 14-18) to take screenshots of their ‘For You’ page on Instagram or TikTok and bring them to an interview – this is a method called photo elicitation. During the interview these screenshots will be used to facilitate discussion around social media algorithms and their positive or negative impact on mental health and wellbeing.
We aim to use our findings to make an exhibition for schools and the public, to facilitate conversations about social media algorithms. We will also contribute to evidence for regulation of social media companies.
This project is funded by NIHR SPHR.
Project details
Social media algorithms play a big role in how young people experience and use social media, but there is not much public understanding of how these algorithms work.
This research will help us to understand how well young people understand algorithms and how they may play a role in exposing them to content that may be beneficial or harmful to their mental health and wellbeing.
There is some evidence that improved social media literacy – the ability to think critically about what we see on social media and make smarter choices in navigating social media – would enable young people to reduce or avoid unintentional exposure to harmful content.
Our findings will allow us to develop recommendations and materials to be used by a range of public, policy and practice stakeholders to equip young people with social media literacy so they can engage in social media in a healthy way.
This project will involve 6 young people from the existing Influence of Influencers Young People’s Advisory Group (YPAG). This YPAG is made up of young people aged 16-25 with lived experience of mental health issues and experience of using and engaging with social media and social media influencers.
Through the project they will work on:
Advising on recruitment methods and any safety considerations to be aware of during the project.
Designing and consulting on the participant information sheet that will be shared during the recruitment process.
Designing and consulting on the interview questions to form the discussion around social media algorithms and their impact on mental health and wellbeing.
Advise and be involved in producing outputs, such as contributing to analysis of the interviews, reviewing the research paper and shaping the public exhibition.
Suggest relevant organisations to which recommendations should be promoted to.
Get in touch on [email protected] for more information.
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