How technology shapes our perception

This is your brain on algorithms
The adage, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with” might need reconsideration in the digital age, particularly as Americans spend more time alone.

Today, we are more likely to be the average of the five platforms we spend the most time on or the five algorithms that inform our beliefs.

A study last month found that Gen Z thinks they need $500,000 a year to succeed (far more than the amount other generations believe is necessary to be successful). One hypothesis for this intergenerational disparity is the influence of social media. It can portray an aspirational life of luxury, encouraging young people to benchmark their idea of success to an unattainable ideal found online. This is not new to social media—television has done this for years—but the level of algorithm-driven personalization and monetization is more powerful than ever.
A study from 2021 found that the biggest predictor of a social media post going viral was a post about an out-group (i.e., the people who don’t belong to the in-group of people viewing the post). Posts about the opposing party were twice as likely to go viral as posts about one’s party, and the majority of those posts were negative. In short, according to the researchers, “out-group hate was a stronger driver of virality than in-group love.” This engagement-driven virality amplifies perceptions of our own righteousness while reinforcing negative views of those with whom we disagree.