Assignment: The Age of Algorithms

Instructions

First, consider what Rose-Stockwell writes in "This Is How Your Fear and Outrage Are Being Sold for Profit Links to an external site.":

Many of the biggest problems we face in this moment as a society result from decisions being made by the hidden creators of our digital world  -  the designers, developers, and editors that create and curate the media we consume. They do this by focusing on one over-simplified metric, one that supports advertising as its primary source of revenue. This metric is called engagement, and emphasizing it  - above all else  - has subtly and steadily changed the way we look at the news, our politics, and each other.

Second, answer the following questions. Write one paragraph for each question:

1. When information is presented to us with the end goal of making money through what is known as "engagement," how does this affect our consumption of the news and politics, and our knowledge about the world?
2. How does this also affect our relationships with other people?

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Grading

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