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People Think That Social Media Platforms Do (but Should Not) Amplify Divisive Content
Steve Rathje1, Claire Robertson1, William J Brady2
1Department of Psychology & Center for Neural Science, New York University.
Summary
People believe divisive and negative content goes viral on social media, but prefer positive, accurate, and educational content to spread. There is broad consensus on desired content amplification by platforms.
Area of Science:
- Social Media Studies
- Communication Research
- Public Opinion
Background:
- Social media algorithms amplify content, but public perception of viral content is understudied.
- Understanding user perceptions is crucial for regulating social media algorithms.
- Previous research identified content types likely to spread virally.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate public perceptions of what content goes viral and what content should go viral on social media.
- To inform the debate on improving and regulating social media algorithms.
Main Methods:
- A nationally representative survey of 511 U.S. participants.
- Assessed perceptions of social media virality and desired content amplification.
Main Results:
- Participants believe divisive, negative, and misinformation content are likely to go viral.
- Conversely, participants desire accurate, nuanced, and educational content to go viral.
- Perceptions showed broad consensus, with weak correlations to political orientation and demographics.
Conclusions:
- A significant gap exists between content perceived as viral and content desired to be amplified.
- Public consensus on desired content can inform social media platform improvements and regulation.
- Findings highlight potential for aligning platform amplification with user values.
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