X Algorithm Thrives on Outrage Replies That Hit Democrats Harder, Fresh Study Shows
The study found reply-driven content makes up under 7% of interactions, yet X’s algorithm still amplifies it and serves it more to Democrats.
- A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found X's algorithm prioritizes ragebait to increase engagement. Research following 715 American users revealed the platform's reply predictor significantly influences what appears on user feeds.
- Stanford researcher Ziv Epstein said the algorithm is optimized for engagement, but not all interactions count equally. Replying is weighted heavily, creating a feedback loop where the system learns to serve content that triggers outrage.
- Researchers found that the algorithm serves more ragebait to users who identify as Democrats. These users often reply to content conflicting with their self-reported values, amplifying similar material to them specifically.
- While X has not formally responded, former head of product Nikita Bier claims the algorithm was adjusted 'by order of magnitude' since the study. Epstein noted the research aims to foster transparency regarding social media algorithms.
- Scientists emphasize that users have little insight into how these systems operate or the extent to which they influence political discourse. These findings suggest significant implications for civil society as platforms continue controlling algorithm transparency.
11 Articles
11 Articles
X Algorithm Thrives on Outrage Replies That Hit Democrats Harder, Fresh Study Shows
Anger sells on X. The platform’s For You feed learns from what users hate and serves more of it. A study released this week finds the effect lands with particular force on Democrats. Researchers from Stanford, MIT, the University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins and Yale recruited 715 active American X users in September and October 2024. Participants installed a browser extension that captured both their algorithmic For You Page and chronological Fol…
"X's Algorithm Feeds Off Ragebait and Impacts Democrats More, Study Finds" #ELB
404 Media: X’s algorithm learns what you hate and shows you more of it, according to a new study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The paper, titled Value misalignment of X’s feed algorithm is a… Continue reading The post “X’s Algorithm Feeds Off Ragebait and Impacts Democrats More, Study Finds” appeared first on Election Law Blog.
X's algorithm effectively ragebaits Democrats
Those who still use X, The Everything App with any regularity at all are probably aware of how the situation has deteriorated in the past few years. The algorithm feeds its users a steady stream of slop and right-wing talking points, and replies under posts are dominated by people (or bots) who have purchased a blue check to get a priority placement under a post. If Twitter was the internet’s town square, X has become the rundown, anger-inducing…
X's Algorithm Feeds Off Ragebait and Impacts Democrats More, Study Finds
X’s algorithm learns what you hate and shows you more of it, according to a new study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The paper, titled Value misalignment of X’s feed algorithm is a reflection of value tensions in engagement, found that the site’s algorithm prioritized engagement above all else when it generated a user’s For You Page. It also showed that X serves more ragebait to people who say they …
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