Bias and social media: What’s the impact on your screen time?

Published: July 24, 2020

I think many of us will admit that, in our current environment of social distancing, we are spending even more time online, in particular on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and more. These sites, and the content we see, whether a shared article, comment, ad, or post from a friend or relative, are often controlled by an algorithm which, though based on our preferences and past behavior, can also be subject to bias. This takes on a more significant importance when you consider the impact this content, and how we interact with it, can have on our thoughts, viewpoints, and even our emotions.

Joining me for this episode to discuss the impact of bias in social media algorithms is Heidi Eisips, professor with San Jose State University.

Based on the types of bias that find their way into algorithms, and as I mentioned this is human bias, it is often claimed by critics, pundits and researchers that these algorithms are responsible for boosting one point of view while censoring another, Amplifying and influencing what we are already prone to believe, what we care about and how we vote, or even whether we vote at all.

Interviewed this episode:

Heidi Eisips

San Jose State University

Heidi Livingston Eisips has an MBA with an emphasis in Market Research and Strategy from Yale University. She is an adjunct member of the Marketing & Business Analytics faculty in the Lucas College of Business at SJSU. Ms. Eisips has worked as a marketing strategist with Fortune 100’s, start-ups, and mid-size companies, across a variety of industries, including enterprise software, mobile tech, biopharma, ed tech, and higher ed. An experienced lecturer and facilitator, Ms. Eisips has taught all ages, from K to post-graduate both in the classroom and in professional development and training settings. With expertise in a wide array of educational technologies, Ms. Eisips’ pedagogical strength is encouraging creativity, innovation, and design thinking through a balance between screen and non-screen educational approaches. Her research focus is on ethics in data analytics, educational technologies for student success, and exploring the intersection between technology and student voice.

An experienced writer and editor, Ms. Eisips has worked as a faculty in residence with the SJSU Writing Center; she concurrently holds an adjunct faculty position in Aerospace Engineering to support writing for graduate theses and projects, as well as undergraduate and transfer advising. Ms. Eisips is currently pursuing her doctorate in higher ed leadership and is a member of SJSU’s EdD Cohort 4 (expected to graduate in 2020).