research-article

First I "like" it, then I hide it: Folk Theories of Social Feeds

Authors:

Motahhare Eslami,

Karrie Karahalios,

Christian Sandvig,

Kristen Vaccaro,

Kevin Hamilton,

Alex KirlikAuthors Info & Claims

CHI '16: Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Pages 2371 - 2382

https://doi.org/10.1145/2858036.2858494

Published: 07 May 2016 Publication History

Abstract

Many online platforms use curation algorithms that are opaque to the user. Recent work suggests that discovering a filtering algorithm's existence in a curated feed influences user experience, but it remains unclear how users reason about the operation of these algorithms. In this qualitative laboratory study, researchers interviewed a diverse, non-probability sample of 40 Facebook users before, during, and after being presented alternative displays of Facebook's News Feed curation algorithm's output. Interviews revealed 10 "folk theories' of automated curation, some quite unexpected. Users who were given a probe into the algorithm's operation via an interface that incorporated "seams,' visible hints disclosing aspects of automation operations, could quickly develop theories. Users made plans that depended on their theories. We conclude that foregrounding these automated processes may increase interface design complexity, but it may also add usability benefits.

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The auxiliary material consist of the interview protocol (four pdf files): the initial survey protocol, the pre-probe interview protocol, the probe interview protocol, and the post-probe interview protocol.

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Cited By

Sierocki R(2024)Algorithms and Faith: The Meaning, Power, and Causality of Algorithms in Catholic Online DiscourseReligions10.3390/rel1504043115:4(431)Online publication date: 29-Mar-2024
https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15040431
Parisi L(2024)«Il banco vince sempre». Immaginari e temporalità algoritmiche degli specialisti del marketing digitaleSOCIOLOGIA DELLA COMUNICAZIONE10.3280/SC2023-06600634:66(95-111)Online publication date: Feb-2024
https://doi.org/10.3280/SC2023-066006
Meng Z(2024)Cross-platform sensitivity and algorithmic adaptability: How transnational creators navigate algorithms across Chinese and US-based platformsNew Media & Society10.1177/14614448241307578Online publication date: 22-Dec-2024
https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448241307578
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Index Terms

First I "like" it, then I hide it: Folk Theories of Social Feeds
1. Human-centered computing

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cover image ACM Conferences

CHI '16: Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

May 2016

6108 pages

ISBN:9781450333627

DOI:10.1145/2858036

General Chairs:
Jofish Kaye
Yahoo
,
Allison Druin
University of Maryland / National Park Service
,
Program Chairs:
Cliff Lampe
University of Michigan
,
Dan Morris
Microsoft
,
Juan Pablo Hourcade
University of Iowa

Copyright © 2016 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than the author(s) must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected].

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SIGCHI: ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction

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Published: 07 May 2016

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the University of Illinois Office of Vice Chancellor for Research.

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CHI'16: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

May 7 - 12, 2016

California, San Jose, USA

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CHI '16 Paper Acceptance Rate 565 of 2,435 submissions, 23%;

Overall Acceptance Rate 6,199 of 26,314 submissions, 24%

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Cited By

Sierocki R(2024)Algorithms and Faith: The Meaning, Power, and Causality of Algorithms in Catholic Online DiscourseReligions10.3390/rel1504043115:4(431)Online publication date: 29-Mar-2024
https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15040431
Parisi L(2024)«Il banco vince sempre». Immaginari e temporalità algoritmiche degli specialisti del marketing digitaleSOCIOLOGIA DELLA COMUNICAZIONE10.3280/SC2023-06600634:66(95-111)Online publication date: Feb-2024
https://doi.org/10.3280/SC2023-066006
Meng Z(2024)Cross-platform sensitivity and algorithmic adaptability: How transnational creators navigate algorithms across Chinese and US-based platformsNew Media & Society10.1177/14614448241307578Online publication date: 22-Dec-2024
https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448241307578
Cohen MKhavkin MMovsowitz Davidow DToch E(2024)ChatGPT in the public eye: Ethical principles and generative concerns in social media discussionsNew Media & Society10.1177/14614448241279034Online publication date: 21-Sep-2024
https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448241279034
Haapoja JSavolainen LReinikainen HLehtiniemi T(2024)Moral orders of pleasing the algorithmNew Media & Society10.1177/14614448241278674Online publication date: 11-Sep-2024
https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448241278674
Wang CBoerman SKroon AMöller JH de Vreese C(2024)The artificial intelligence divide: Who is the most vulnerable?New Media & Society10.1177/14614448241232345Online publication date: 26-Feb-2024
https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448241232345
Schjøtt ABengtsson M(2024)De- and recoding algorithmic systems: The case of fact checkers and fact checked usersConvergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies10.1177/13548565241289233Online publication date: 23-Oct-2024
https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565241289233
Cotter KRitchart ADe AFoyle KKanthawala SMcAtee HWatson T(2024)If you’re reading this, it’s meant for you: The reflexive ambivalence of algorithmic conspiritualityConvergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies10.1177/13548565241258949Online publication date: 3-Jun-2024
https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565241258949
Garusi DJuarez Miro C(2024)Unpacking news consumption and trust decisions through a folk theory approach: A study of Austrian young adultsMedia, Culture & Society10.1177/01634437241291453Online publication date: 7-Nov-2024
https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437241291453
Alizadeh FLawo DStevens GZytko DEslami M(2024)When the "Matchmaker" Does Not Have Your Interest at Heart: Perceived Algorithmic Harms, Folk Theories, and Users' Counter-Strategies on TinderProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36897108:CSCW2(1-29)Online publication date: 8-Nov-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3689710
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