Jeff McJunkinFeb 21
Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD
A new paper shows that less than 2 months of exposure to Twitter’s algorithmic feed significantly shifts people’s political views to the right. Moving from chronological feed to the algorithmic feed also increases engagement. This is one of the most concerning papers I’ve read in awhile.
Feb 19 at 6:57pmWeb
Show threadElizabeth Jacobs, PhDFeb 19
Some may be saying, “yes, we knew this”, but we don’t really know know until we see data like these. And something we may not have known that this paper shows is that once a person gets into the right wing silo, we’ve lost them. Changing to the chronological feed does not bring them back.

nature.com/articles/s4158...
Show threadElizabeth Jacobs, PhDFeb 19
A lot of science fiction and shady government projects have been centered on “brainwashing” or getting people to do or say stuff that they wouldn’t normally. Well, it’s here, and disinformation from right wing influencers is a huge component.
Show threadElizabeth Jacobs, PhDFeb 19
This is why @[email protected] includes combating scientific misinformation as a major pillar in our report entitled Improving the Health of Americans Together, or IHAT. You can read it here if you are interested. www.defendpublichealth.org/sites/defaul...

defendpublichealth.org/sites/default/...
Show threadRachel RawlingsFeb 19
@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social I haven't moved to the right, but then I haven't been on Twitter in over three years. However, just two minutes of exposure to Twitter as it exists now certainly makes me angrier.
Show threadBettina HartmannFeb 20
@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social Thanks for sharing! I've been on Xtwitter for more than a decade and it hasn't happened to me... It's anecdotal evidence, but I cannot help thinking that people don't curate their feed very well. I am very grateful for Xtwitter, not least due to climate scientists and bikefriendly city champions, etc. I feel uptodate with a lot of stuff which hasn't quite happened here in the same broadspectred manner. It will happen over time, i suspect, but not yet.
Show threadSueDiOhFeb 20
@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social I believe this is what happened in 2016 to Americans on Facebook, to push Trump over the top - barely. (With the assistance of Cambridge Analytica and complements of the Russians.)
Show threadxs4me2Mar 11

@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social

Seen it indeed, worrying and basically how consistent and constant propaganda works.
And how effective that is, was already shown in the 1930s in Nazi Germany…
Highly worrying…

Show threadElizabeth Jacobs, PhDMar 11
Yeah. We can already see measurable outcomes, such as (I contend) the election of Donald Trump for the second time. People think you have to hack voting machines. All you need is an algorithm.
Show threadxs4me2Mar 11

@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social

Exactly, the Nazi's had newspapers, and as new media propaganda movies and radio. Presently it is even more refined in social media and algorithms. That for sure got Trump elected. Next level will be AI where nobody will know any more what is actually the truth. As I said highly worrying...