Summary: New research examining how X/Twitter’s algorithm affects news consumption has uncovered unexpected patterns in content delivery. The study of 243 platform users and over 800,000 tweets revealed that algorithmic feeds actually present less polarizing content than chronological timelines, while reducing overall news exposure. These findings have important implications for how social media shapes public information consumption.
Journal: ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing, June 24, 2024, DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2406.17097 | Reading time: 5 minutes
The New Digital News Stand
Social media has become a primary news source for many Americans, with half of U.S. adults getting news from these platforms at least sometimes. On X/Twitter specifically, 52% of users regularly turn to the platform for news updates.
Penn Engineering researchers conducted a three-week study to understand how the platform’s algorithm affects what news users see compared to a simple chronological feed of accounts they follow.
Surprising Algorithm Effects
“It turned out that, during the time we performed this audit, X/Twitter’s algorithmic feeds were presenting users with information that was milder and overall less polarizing than the chronological timeline,” says researcher Stephanie Wang.
The study found that algorithmic feeds showed less news content overall, particularly fewer links to news articles. This contradicted initial expectations that algorithms would promote more extreme political content aligned with users’ beliefs.
Trust and Perception
The research revealed interesting patterns in how users perceive news credibility on social media. “Users reported that just the fact that they read the news on social media made it less credible,” notes researcher Alvin Zhou. This skepticism increased when users encountered views opposing their own.
“What concerns me is that users of these platforms have very little control over the algorithms,” adds researcher Danaë Metaxa. “The lack of transparency, restricted APIs and the current controversies surrounding the direction and ownership of X/Twitter make it a challenging space for people to find and trust quality news.”
Glossary
Algorithmic feed: Content shown to users based on computerized selection rather than simple chronological order.
Chronological timeline: Posts shown in order of when they were posted, without algorithmic sorting.
Sociotechnical audit: A research method combining technical analysis with user experience surveys.
Political polarization: The division of people into opposing political or ideological groups.
Quiz
- What percentage of X/Twitter users regularly use the platform for news?
Answer: 52% - How many tweets did researchers analyze in their study?
Answer: Over 800,000 tweets - What unexpected finding did researchers make about algorithmic feeds?
Answer: They showed milder and less polarizing content than chronological feeds - How did users view news credibility on social media?
Answer: They found it less credible simply because it appeared on social media
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