APS

2025 APS Annual Convention · 2025

Unveiling the Divisive Web: The Role of Social Media Algorithms in Promoting Polarization and Division Among Adolescents

Washington, DC · May 2025

Poster · Social

  • Isabelle DePalma
    Sacred Heart Academy
  • Stephen Sullivan
    Sacred Heart Academy

Abstract

This study investigates how social media algorithms influence polarization among adolescents, using survey data from 109 participants, aged 14-18. Results reveal divisive content is amplified, though adolescents prefer positive material. Demographic analyses highlight gender and racial differences in perceptions of divisiveness, emphasizing the need for transparency and media literacy education.

Politics

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