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Can the likes we give on Instagram and Facebook predict a purchase or foresee who will win the election? Yes, they can! Large digital platforms can target ads to hyper-segmented to influence audiences. It is the moment to think deeply about these technologies. As citizens, we must reflect on our digital future.
List of contents
Introduction: From Delphi to Zuckerberg – Conquering the Future Part 1: General Discussions on Prediction-Oriented Algorithms and Attention 1. Algorithmic Culture: Limits and Notes for the Discussion 2. The Functioning of Attention as a Behavioural Prediction Mechanism in Social Media Part 2: Predictive Consumption? 3. Predictive Analytics in Digital Advertising: Are Platforms Really Interested in Accuracy? 4. Consumption Prediction on Netflix: Audience Tracking Analysis Based on the Recommendation Algorithm in Times of Pandemic 5. Social Complex Networks Analysis as Predictors of Users’ Behaviour in the Digital Society Part 3: Ethical and Political Implications of Prediction 6. Predicting Government Attention in Social Media: A First Step for Understanding Political astroturf in Interest Representation 7. Social Media as a Framework for Predicting and Controlling Social Protest in the 21st Century 8. Reviving Topological Thinking in the Post-Media Condition 9. Ethical Insights for the Social Media Age
About the author
Cristina Fernández-Rovira is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Communication at the Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya. She has studied in Spain and Canada and has done pre-doctoral research in Spain and France. She has also been a visiting professor in Egypt. Fernández-Rovira is a journalist and political scientist and holds a PhD in Sociology and Anthropology. Her main research interests are social media and the economy of attention.
Santiago Giraldo-Luque is Professor of Journalism at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). He holds a PhD in Communication and Journalism and a master’s degree in Communication and Education from the UAB. He is a graduate of the Political Science programme at the National University of Colombia. His research is centred on the study of social media, the economy of attention, and the use of the internet to promote political participation and social mobilisation.
Summary
Can the likes we give on Instagram and Facebook predict a purchase or foresee who will win the election? Yes, they can! Large digital platforms can target ads to hyper-segmented to influence audiences. It is the moment to think deeply about these technologies. As citizens, we must reflect on our digital future.
