Teens and algorithms

+ Detroit's diversifying suburbs US Edition - Today's top story: Teens see social media algorithms as accurate reflections of themselves, study finds [View in browser]( US Edition | 29 April 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Colleges facing protests fall into ‘60s-era trap]( - [Coping with the perils of digital dating]( - [Midwest tornadoes fueled by a decaying El Niño]( Lead story When you see the “for you” feed on a social media platform, you probably recognize that the platform’s algorithms weigh, among other things, your past engagements – clicks, likes and comments – to serve up content designed to keep you scrolling along. Teens tend to recognize this as well, but their relationships with the algorithms have a troubling dimension. Information scientist Nora McDonald [describes her recent research]( examining how teens interact with algorithms. The teens they interviewed felt they could control the algorithms by their actions, but they also often believe that the content served to them is an accurate reflection of their identities – at a vulnerable time for establishing their sense of self. [ [Understand what’s going on in Washington and around the world. Get our Politics Weekly newsletter.]( ] Eric Smalley Science + Technology Editor Teens say ‘for you’ algorithms get them right. Photo illustration by Spencer Platt/Getty Images [Teens see social media algorithms as accurate reflections of themselves, study finds]( Nora McDonald, George Mason University Adolescents treat ‘for you’ algorithms as a social mirror and are willing to give up privacy to use it. Politics + Society - [College administrators are falling into a tried and true trap laid by the right]( Lauren Lassabe Shepherd, University of New Orleans Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, conservative activists led a counterattack against campus antiwar and civil rights demonstrators by demanding action from college presidents, the courts and the police. - [Greater Detroit is becoming more diverse and less segregated – but Asians and Hispanics increasingly live in their own neighborhoods]( Grigoris Argeros, Eastern Michigan University Detroit is one of the country’s most segregated regions, but census data shows how that’s changing in both the city and suburbs. International - [Japan’s diplomatic charm offensive in US aims to keep Washington in committed relationship]( Mary M. McCarthy, Drake University Meetings with Joe Biden and Donald Trump suggest Japan is hedging over the outcome of the US election. Environment + Energy - [Midwest tornadoes: What a decaying El Niño has to do with violent storms in the central US]( Jana Lesak Houser, The Ohio State University A powerful storm system produced dozens of destructive tornadoes over three days that tore apart homes in Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa. A meteorologist explains the conditions that fueled them. - [Why are some people faster than others? 2 exercise scientists explain the secrets of running speed]( Dawn P. Coe, University of Tennessee; Elizabeth (Kip) Webster, University of Tennessee Your sprinting skills have a lot to do with genetics, but your brain also plays a big role. - [Longer-lasting ozone holes over Antarctica expose seal pups and penguin chicks to much more UV]( Sharon Robinson, University of Wollongong; Laura Revell, University of Canterbury; Rachele Ossola, Colorado State University Four years of persistent ozone holes have sparked concern about what more UV is doing to Antarctic ecosystems. Science + Technology - [Ghosted, orbited, breadcrumbed? A psychotherapist breaks down some perils of digital dating and how to cope]( Danielle Sukenik, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Online dating has its own jargon. But the feelings involved are nothing new. - [Gut microbes that get you drunk and damage your liver − how the microbiome can create a microbrewery]( Bill Sullivan, Indiana University Drunk without drinking? Liver damage without libations? Gut bacteria might be the culprit. Trending on site - [Trump trial reveals details about how the former president thinks about, and exploits, the media]( - [Cannabis legalization has led to a boom in potent forms of the drug that present new hazards for adolescents]( - [What you eat could alter your unborn children and grandchildren’s genes and health outcomes]( Today's graphic 📈 [The percentage of Americans, especially younger adults, who get their news from TikTok has steadily increased over the last four years.]( From the story, [Banning TikTok won’t solve social media’s foreign influence, teen harm and data privacy problems]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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