Algorithmic manipulation: how social media platforms exploit student vulnerabilities

Jessai Flores

Social media has become a pervasive influence on the lives of students, leading to mental health problems and decreased academic performance.

Paul Hoffman, director of the Yale Center for Mental Health and Counseling, emphasized that excessive use of social media is associated with mental health problems among students.

“Young people who spend more time on social media and more time on their phones tend to experience more depression and anxiety and tend not to form as strong relationships,” Ada Fenick, a professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine, told the News.

Social media platforms encourage endless scrolling, impulsive behavior and the need for instant gratification. According to studyAn estimated 210 million people worldwide suffer from social media and internet addiction.

Mark Potenza, professor of psychiatry, child studies and neurobiology in the School of Medicine, noted that with significant changes in digital technology, especially the advent of smartphones over the past few decades, there have been significant changes in mental health. especially in adolescents and young adults.

“Currently, about 95 percent of high school-age teens have access to a smartphone, and the Pew Research Center estimates that in both 2022 and 2023, about 46 percent of high school-age teens report being online almost constantly, which means an increase of about half of this amount, about 24 percent, will be in 2015,” Potenza said.

Data linking social media use to anxiety and depression among teenagers prompted US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to create advisory in 2023 on social media use and youth mental health. Murthy also wrote opinion The New York Times says social networking sites should contain warning labels similar to those on tobacco and alcohol products to warn of the potential adverse effects of consumption.

As part of the Science and Technology Collaboration initiative, Potenza and his colleagues developed electronic booklet it focuses on how to prevent problematic Internet use. Potenza emphasized that it’s important to reserve completely technology-free time, replacing digital devices with analog ones as needed, especially in the hour before bed.

“People can often feel obligated or fascinated by content that can be harmful to their mental health, especially if they are going through a period of increased anxiety or depression,” Hoffman wrote in the News. “It can be very important for people to be mindful of the content they consume because often the very purpose of algorithms is to keep you mindlessly engaged.”

Fenick told the News that social media companies have gotten pretty good at creating “quick hits” that make viewers momentarily feel like their “dopamine receptors are on fire.”

She encourages students to view their phones and social media as learning tools rather than easy access to entertainment every minute of the day.

“Give up social media if you can, but if you feel like you want to use it, then I would set a limit for yourself on the amount of time you spend on social media,” Fenik said. “I would set a limit not only on time, but also on what apps you use. Be very mindful of what you’re using it for and what your purpose is, and try to spend at least as much or more time interacting with other people in real life.”

Francesco Casetti, professor of humanities, film and media, and Neta Alexander, assistant professor of film and media teaching algorithmic literacy, noted the addictive nature of social media. This spring, the two professors will co-teach a new seminar called “Media Anxieties.”

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

“These platforms are designed to be addictive because they use periodic rewards and try to trigger negative emotional responses such as rage, anxiety and jealousy, which are known to prolong our engagement and deepen our attachment to our devices,” said Alexander.

To limit the harmful effects of excessive social media use, Alexander recommended that students could download screen time apps that set strict limits or “lock” themselves away from their favorite platform and prioritize personal activities. She also recommended that students turn off notifications from social media apps or switch their smartphone display to grayscale, which is less distracting and attention-grabbing. She noted that implementing these simple strategies is especially important at night, when tech companies compete for users’ sleep and biological needs.

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

“Social media platforms like Instagram and X have been shown to be correlated with self-harm, anxiety, depression and social isolation,” Alexander wrote. “Such concerns are supported by empirical research, including data collected, hidden and ignored by the technology companies themselves and disclosed by whistleblowers.”

She explained that a number of alarming trends have emerged among teenagers leading technology-dependent lives, such as an epidemic of body dysmorphia, self-hatred and attention deficit disorder.

Alexander noted that the widespread use of “beauty filters” and images and videos generated by artificial intelligence creates impossible beauty standards and pushes young users to dangerous and unnecessary plastic surgery.

“Social media platforms quantify relationships, intimacy, and attention, creating a 24/7 culture of swiping, liking, and commenting,” Alexander wrote. “This can lead to increased anxiety and low self-esteem. (There is also) a constant need to keep up with the latest and increasingly expensive personal electronics and data packages, which puts financial pressure on teenagers.”

Casetti told the News that last semester he taught a course called “Scared to Death: Fear, Threats and the Media,” and that one of the prerequisites for registering for the course was accepting the idea of ​​fasting on social media for 24 hours and writing a diary.

He noted that he received many unexpected entries and that one tenth of the class was unable to cut off contact with the media for 24 hours.

“One student wrote that he accidentally touched the Instagram icon because it was an involuntary gesture,” Casetti said. “And as soon as he reconnected to his Instagram, he broke his promise not to log off the social network for 24 hours.”

He noted that other students said they gave up for other reasons: One wrote in his entry, “I was scared to be alone with my thoughts.”

Casetti recalled that the unusual prerequisite allowed students to realize how addicted they are to social media and the detrimental extent of their addiction.

“It’s great to meet people, chat (and network). This is one of the great things that came out of the journals my students wrote last year,” Casetti said. “Some of them, during the 24 hours they avoided connecting (online), wrote that they had rediscovered the pleasure of reading a book, a physical book. It was fantastic… So I would say be mindful, exercise some moderation and be able to discover the full breadth of pleasures and opportunities in life.”

There are therapists in the mental health and counseling department accessible work with students who feel that social media use is negatively impacting their mental health.