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The Political and Psychological Costs of Social Media Algorithms: Evidence-Based Strategies to Mitigate Algorithm-Driven Addiction, Echo Chambers, Polarization, and Misinformation
Explores how profit-driven social media algorithms fuel addiction, echo chambers, polarization, and misinformation, with strategies to help users protect themselves.
In today’s digital landscape, where over 4.8 billion people worldwide spend more than two hours daily on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok, social media has evolved into a dominant force shaping behavior, thought patterns, and societal structures. Research increasingly notes their addictive potential, reminiscent of nicotine in cigarettes, as they exploit psychological vulnerabilities to keep users scrolling, often resulting in echo chambers that reinforce biases, deteriorate mental health, and undermine democratic processes. Neuroscientific studies show adolescents are especially vulnerable, with developing brains exhibiting hyperactive reward centers, leading to altered dopamine pathways akin to substance abuse(De, El Jamal, Aydemir, & Khera, 2025).
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