Social Media Algorithm
Tauhid Nur Azhar
A social media algorithm is a complex set of rules and calculations used by social media platforms to prioritize the content that users see in their feeds. Users’ past behavior, content relevance, and the popularity of posts are some of the vital algorithm factors taken into account by social media platforms. (socialpilot.co)
The social media algorithm, without us fully realizing it, has led us to a simulacrum that conditions us to a footing resembling a reality that is very likely virtual. A condition where we seem to be in a space of perception according to preferences born from our own cognitive system.However, through the social media algorithm as defined by Social Pilot above, what we see, hear, and feel are “signs” dedicated to our senses and minds to believe and accept them as “real” conditions. The concept of simulacrum or simulacra is proposed by Baudrillard, a postmodern philosopher who attempts to analyze the consumer society in relation to the sign system.According to Baudrillard, in the consumer society, what is consumed is not commodities, but signs.
These signs are in the form of messages and images communicated, among other things, through media, including social media, of course.For those who have watched the most substantial Indonesian film in the past decade, “Budi Pekerti,” they may begin to understand that the “impression” of a message can be arranged and directed through a series of processes and planning. Data can be processed, and facts can be presented through different perspectives until perceptions can be constructed according to the message sender, in line with the intended purpose.
Opinions can be constructed through simulacra without fully relying on reality. This is possibly what happens in the realm of social media simulacra. Repetitive patterns and records of past behavior form the basis for a concoction akin to a love potion, creating a perception that makes us feel as if we are in a virtual space where various information is displayed, imprisoning us in a whirlpool of data centered around exes, or a condition designed with the aim of shaping our entity in a “world” that is controlled.
The salience network or the ventral attention system, driven by the midcingulo-insular network with an anatomical structure consisting of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the anterior insula, is “forced” to pay attention to the simultaneous flow of data received by the senses and processed by the associative system, continuously pounding the preference-building system and the reward center in the subcortical areas of our brain.Thus, slowly but surely, our brains begin to be deluded by the illusionary sensations constructed based on repeated behavioral information observed from activities on social media and search engines, and are directed to construct perceptions according to what is planned and directed.
We even start to believe that the virtual world always accompanies us and understands us very well. Charming presidential candidates, enchanting travel packages, tempting hidden culinary gems, and stories and shorts that feel “so me” almost never fail to appear through their notifications whenever and wherever we open our mobile devices.Isn’t it extraordinary? It’s as if the universe is supporting us, isn’t it? What we see, hear, and read all align and increasingly reinforce beliefs, and perhaps even life concepts, visions, missions, and possibly ideologies.
This may be the basis of the concept of asymmetric information warfare. Delusions and illusions can become weapons of mass destruction that not even ballistic missile warheads can carry. All of this can be delivered in real-time through the connection and manufacture of information, as well as the design of AI-based algorithms to recognize patterns and assess various psychometric indicators related to affective and cognitive profiles involved in perception construction and, in turn, in certain cases, lead to modulation of purchasing decisions or choices in the context of strategic management.
Of course, neuropolitics is at play here, as well as neuromarketing and neuroculture, which can manifest in the form of covert strategies to influence attention intentions, preferences, and even build militancy, all of which sometimes do not require a valid reality-based foundation that can be accountable for its truth in the context of trust.
Anger can be provoked, guilt can be unearthed, thematic dissatisfaction and disappointment can be scrutinized, and even feelings of frustration and depressive conditions can be created for manipulative purposes.
Let’s imagine the real data that has been conveyed by the Minister of Health and the President Director of BPJS, that catastrophic diseases are increasing, including suspected underlying diseases that are classified as metabolic problems, such as type 2 diabetes. In addition to genetic factors, type 2 diabetes is heavily influenced by human lifestyle and consumption patterns.
If we also know the stress response and coping mechanisms, where coping mechanisms are ways or strategies that a person uses to deal with situations that make them feel stressed or pressured. Generally, problem-focused coping involves efforts to improve a situation by making changes or taking immediate action to address threats to oneself, such as through negotiation processes, confrontation, and seeking advice from trusted individuals.
Indeed, stress, as per Hans Selye’s theory, always involves physiological processes when a person experiences pressure and tries to manage it. Stress, according to Goldenson (in Saam & Wahyuni, 2014), is a condition or situation, whether internal or environmental, that imposes demands for adjustment on the individual concerned.
One common physiological response when someone experiences stress is an increase in sugar consumption. Several studies conducted at the University of California have shown that consuming sweet or sugary foods can lower the amount of cortisol in the body. Thus, the brain’s response to stress will also improve. This is related to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis mechanism that affects hormonal constellations and, of course, our body’s metabolism.
The presence of sugar and carbohydrates in general is also related to the level of serotonin in the brain. The function of serotonin, among others, is to bring about a sense of calm and well-being, which can make our lives happy and manage mood swings so that we are not dissolved, whether in euphoria or in deep sorrow.
So, the premise is that stress can increase sugar consumption. Increased sugar consumption and changes in physical activity will impact the emergence of various metabolic disorders. Metabolic disorders, in turn, can trigger diseases such as type 2 diabetes. In advanced stages, type 2 diabetes can become a predisposing factor for increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, and kidney function disorders.
Let us imagine, if we fully master the integration of physiology, pathophysiology, neurobiology, neuropsychology, behavioral science, persuasive psychology, media communication, information technology, and artificial intelligence, and understand the construction of strategic management, and if we have a specific vision, mission, and ideology, then we can develop social media algorithms according to the goals we aim to achieve.
The construction of a delusional depressive world, chronic anxiety, paranoia, disrupted sense of justice and humanity, a parade of cool, luxurious, and expensive goods, a lineup of delicious culinary delights, interspersed with vacation packages and offers of unsecured credit for various property and automotive products combined with pay-later programs and easy online loans, all of these will not be able to escape our filtration.
Stress can easily be conditioned through the right social media algorithms. Then, we just have to wait for how metabolic diseases that can become catastrophic disasters will come creeping and ready to pounce.
After that, the state budget through health insurance will be absorbed. Because the pharmaceutical and medical equipment industries are still dominated by imported products, capital flight will occur, foreign exchange reserves will certainly be eroded, budget allocations for welfare and future infrastructure platforms will be eroded, and even reduced. To overcome this, bilateral aid and debt become options. Furthermore, domestic economic resilience can be in a risky condition with an uncertain index due to dependency factors.
Equally worrying, the ballooning percentage of unhealthy people in society also affects a nation’s productivity capacity. Because, after all, the main resource of a nation is the great people within it.
So, what should we do? Do we still see that social media algorithms are only about encouraging us to shop online?
