Algorithmic Manipulation: How social media platforms exploit student vulnerabilities

Jesse Flores

Social media has become a pervasive influence in students’ lives, leading to mental health problems and disrupting academic performance.

Paul Hoffman, director of Yale Mental Health and Counseling, stressed that excessive use of social media is linked to mental health problems among students.

“Young adults who spend a lot of time on social media and a lot of time on their phones are more likely to experience depression and anxiety and tend to have less strong relationships,” Ada Fenick, professor of psychiatry at children at the School of Medicine, he told the News.

Social media networks encourage endless browsing, impulsive behavior, and the need for instant gratification. According to research, it is estimated that 210 million people worldwide suffer from social media and internet addiction.

Marc Potenza, professor of psychiatry, pediatrics and neuroscience at the School of Medicine, noted that with major changes in the digital technology environment, particularly the rise of smartphones over the past few decades, there have been changes major in mental health, especially in youth and young adults.

“Currently, about 95 percent of high school seniors have access to a smartphone, and it is estimated from the Pew Research Center reports that by 2022 and 2023 approximately 46 percent of high school seniors report being online nearly as often, an increase from about 2022 and 2023. half of that amount, about half of 24 percent, in 2015,” Potenza said.

Evidence linking social media use to anxiety and depression among young people has led the US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, to issue a 2023 advisory on social media use and mental health of young people. Murthy also wrote an opinion in The New York Times that social networking sites should have warning letters similar to those of tobacco and alcohol products to warn of the possible negative effects of use.

As part of the Collaboration in Science and Technology project, Potenza and colleagues produced an e-book focusing on how to prevent problematic internet use. Potenza emphasized the importance of maintaining completely technology-free times, replacing digital devices with analog devices when necessary, especially before bedtime.

“People can often feel compelled or engaged in issues that can damage their mental health, especially if they are going through periods of increased anxiety or depression,” Hoffman wrote in the News. “It can be very important for people to pay attention to the content they consume because often the purpose of algorithms is to keep you engaged.”

Fenick told the News that social media companies have become adept at creating “quick hits” that make viewers instantly feel as if their “dopamine receptors are firing.”

He encourages students to view their phones and social media as learning tools and that it is not easy to find entertainment every minute of the day.

“Get off social media if you can, but if you feel like using it, I would put a limit on how much time you spend on social media,” Fenick said. “I would put a limit not just on how much time, but what equipment you use. Be very mindful of what you use it for and what your purpose is, and try to make sure that at least spend that time or more interacting with other people in real life.”

Francesco Casetti, Sterling Professor of Humanities and Film and Media Studies, and Neta Alexander, Assistant Professor of Film and Media Studies who teach algorithmic literacy, noted the addictive nature of social media. . This year, two professors will be teaching a new seminar called “Media Anxieties.”

Alexander explained that algorithmic recommendation systems are designed to exploit cognitive weaknesses to maximize screen time.

“These platforms are designed to be addictive by using temporary rewards and try to appeal to negative emotions such as anger, anxiety and jealousy, which are known to prolong our commitment and deepen our relationship with our devices, Alexander said.

Alexander suggested that to reduce the negative effects of excessive use of social media, students can download apps that set strict limits on screen time or “log out” of their favorite platforms and they lead individual activities. He also encouraged students to turn off notifications from social media apps or change their smartphone display to grayscale – less distracting and more eye-catching. He noted that implementing these simple policies is very important at night when technology companies compete to sleep with the needs of users of viruses.

Alexander told the News that it is important not to generalize the effects and potential risks of social games, as they depend on the user’s age, support system, life experience and factors other.

“Social media like Instagram and X have been shown to be linked to self-harm, anxiety, depression and isolation,” Alexander wrote. “Such concerns are backed by extensive research, including data collected, hidden and ignored by the tech companies themselves and exposed by whistleblowers.”

He explained that a number of trends, such as the epidemic of body dysmorphia, hatred and attention deficit, have arisen among young people living a life dependent on technology.

Alexander noted that the ubiquitous use of “beauty filters” and images and videos generated by AI create impossible standards of beauty and push young users to undergo dangerous and unnecessary plastic surgery. .

“Social media equates connection, intimacy and attention by creating a 24/7 culture of surfing, liking and commenting,” Alexander wrote. “This can lead to increased anxiety and self-doubt. [There’s also this] the constant need to keep up with the latest electronic devices and information is becoming increasingly expensive, putting financial pressure on young people.”

Casetti told the News that he taught a class last semester called “Fear of Death: Fear, Threats and the Media,” and that one of the prerequisites for signing up for the class is embracing the concept of fasting from social media for 24 hours and writing. newsletter.

He noted that he received many surprising entries and that a tenth of the team could not stop their connection with the media for 24 hours.

“One student wrote that he accidentally touched an Instagram picture because it was a random gesture,” Casetti said. “When he reconnected with his Instagram, he broke his promise to stay off the internet for 24 hours.”

He noted that some students agreed to surrender for other reasons, and one wrote “I was afraid to be alone with my thoughts” when they entered.

Casetti recalled that the unusual demand allowed the students to realize how they relate to social media and the dangerous level of their addiction.

“It’s nice to meet people, to mingle [and mingle]. This is one of the best results of the book my students wrote last year,” Casetti said. Many of them, during the 24 hours they avoided being contacted [online]they wrote that they rediscovered the joy of reading a book, a real book. That was a very good thing… So I would say to realize, to use some kind of self-examination and to be able to discover the whole range of pleasures and possibilities of life. “

Mental Health and Counseling has therapists available to work with students who feel that social media use is negatively affecting their mental health.