Social Media Harms as a Trilemma: Asymmetry, Algorithms, and Audacious Design Choices

TL;DR

This paper conceptualizes social media harms as a trilemma involving asymmetry, algorithms, and design choices, analyzing their interplay and exploring interdisciplinary solutions to mitigate negative impacts.

Contribution

It introduces the 3A framework to understand social media vulnerabilities and synthesizes insights from multiple disciplines to address these challenges.

Findings

Identifies three core vulnerabilities in social media: asymmetry, algorithms, and design.

Proposes interdisciplinary approaches to mitigate social media harms.

Highlights the need for rethinking social media architecture and policies.

Abstract

Social media has expanded in its use, and reach, since the inception of early social networks in the early 2000s. Increasingly, users turn to social media for keeping up to date with current affairs and information. However, social media is increasingly used to promote disinformation and cause harm. In this contribution, we argue that as information (eco)systems, social media sites are vulnerable from three aspects, each corresponding to the classical 3-tier architecture in information systems: asymmetric networks (data tier); algorithms powering the supposed personalisation for the user experience (application tier); and adverse or audacious design of the user experience and overall information ecosystem (presentation tier) - which can be summarized as the 3 A's. Thus, the open question remains: how can we 'fix' social media? We will unpack suggestions from various allied disciplines - from philosophy to data ethics to social psychology - in untangling the 3A's above.