Andas i fyrkant, leva i bubbla : En kvalitativ studie om algoritmers hjälp och stjälp kring självbekräftelse på Instagram

Sammanfattning: In today's society all of your questions can be answered through a visit at Google. We’re constantly connected to the internet and cookies do not only refer to those sweet baked goodies you wish to fill your stomach with. But the question is how aware we are on the effects each data collected has on us? The idea for this essay is to see what Swedes think about algorithms, filter bubbles, echo chambers and integrity in relation to perceived self-affirmation. Do cookies and algorithms work as a help or a hindrance? We have been doing interviews with 11 people in the ages 19 - 36 of which six people stated to be men and five women. The issues we wanted to investigate have been the following: To what extent are users aware of the impact of Instagram's algorithms? Have users changed the way they use Instagram after the advent of personal algorithms? If so, in what way and why? How does the number of likes affect the user's self-image and the image of others? We can see that the knowledge levels of Instagram's algorithm is low. Users are struggling with their own theories about what can increase interaction with other accounts to meet their needs - but find little or none interest in finding out the facts. As far as the algorithms' influence on self-esteem is concerned, it is high. Rather, the major difference we experience lies in the study of the uprising of the new system under #RIPINSTAGRAM which determined users' strong resistance to Instagram's adjustments. Nowadays, the attitudes toward those personal algorithms are not as strongly negative, at least not on a conscious level. This seems to have leached over time, potentially as a side effect of simply getting used to the forum's new layout.