Post by Sitra

Are social media algorithms poisoning civic discourse? Sitra’s study Algorithms and Democracy shows that: ➡️ young adults spend a significant share of their day on social media; ➡️ social media is the main source of information on political and social issues for young people; ➡️ much of the political content on social media consists of memes, jokes, emotionally charged, and even extreme posts, which algorithms tend to reward. This can be a worrying combination. “When you are constantly exposed to this type of content, what does it do to your perceptions on what is acceptable in societal debate?”, asks Sitra’s Head of EU Affairs, Ilkka Räsänen, in a recent Policy Triangle discussion with MEP Sandro Gozi and Connect International’s General Manager, Jelena Spasovic. ☝️ However, the risks are not inevitable. There are concrete measures that can make the digital public sphere safer for democracy and for users. 1. In line with the requirements of the Digital Services Act (DSA), platforms should disclose the main ranking parameters in plain language, offer adjustable settings, and provide a non-profiling feed option. 2. Democratic resilience must be strengthened through digital information literacy and the use of civic tech platforms. 3. The EU and Member States should consider raising and effectively enforcing minimum age limits for full-feature social media access. 👉 Read the study and the full set of recommendations: https://lnkd.in/dK4XzsqT

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