I have created this website thus far and have begun my research on the impact of online algorithms on verbal and nonverbal communication. This project has involved exploring online libraries and databases to locate academically supported articles. To date, I have identified a peer-reviewed article titled Decoding Digital Dynamics: Attitude Algorithms in Online Gaming Redefining Communication Experiences. Additionally, I found an archived article titled Language, Emotion, and Algorithms: The Dynamics of Communication in the Social Media Era. I intend to include more than just these two credible sources to support my findings. The deadline for this research to be made public is Wednesday, February 11. So far, I have spent over ten hours on this project and continue to dedicate additional time as the deadline approaches. Much of that time was spent building this platform and then beginning my initial research. I have been able to see that algorithms go beyond what I initially expected. They extend beyond just social media to include gaming, news sites, dating platforms, and more.
I started this time period by making my first in-depth report under the page labeled The Impact. This included finding and referencing sources, completing the layout for the page, and revising my final product. Afterwards, I spent most of my time accumulating more research for my research update going up on this site next week. I have been finding sources different from what I have previously used, such as press releases, and am planning on conducting interviews as well so I can have some live feedback to weigh in. A few of the interviewees I would like to speak to would be a parent of some sort, as well as younger people like young adults, teenagers, and children. Lastly, I spent some time looking for academic sources on YouTube. In my last post, I found a video, and I felt it added a lot of depth to my ideas. I am being thorough in identifying the difference between credible and noncredible sources. I have spent roughly ten hours working on my first post and preparing for my next one combined.
This week I started by creating my latest research post involving the positive impacts of algorithms on face-to-face communication. For this, I put in roughly four and a half hours. Afterwards, I started prepping for my next post by conducting research. Some of these were articles and others were specifically about scientific studies done on the subject. Another source was from when I attended a seminar where I gained some powerful insights that I am excited to share! I would like to find more people to interview for personal perspectives but have yet to identify any for certain. I found this section of my research a bit easier as most of the articles about the impacts of media on people are primarily negative. Regardless, I plan on continuing my search. Lastly, I spent the last few hours making this update here and fine-tuning it to be as concise and readable as possible. I was able to learn about why algorithms and media consumption can have such heavy influences and yet be so addictive. I've always known is was addictive but no real reason to explain it.
Much of the past week, I have been primarily conducting interviews with individuals who interact with children, teens, and/or the elderly on a regular basis. I spoke with parents, teachers, and people with experience as caretakers for older adults. I also made my post concerning the negative influence of algorithms on people as a whole. This took me roughly five hours. I intend to complete at least one other interview before my next post is published. The people I have spoken with have some valuable insights I could not have otherwise obtained. Research and studies talk about it, but it is not as grounded as the people who witness it firsthand. I may still find some research to back up my findings, but primarily for credibility. I am also planning on taking time to go over what I have posted so far and make sure I have not left out any of my findings. With all the interviews completed, I have worked for about seven hours this week. If I find other resources online, I would like to post those as well. I have posted a number of YouTube videos, so I am going to find alternative materials that still tie into my topic adequately.
I spent a large portion of the beginning of these two weeks determining what and how I wanted to provide tips and advice to my audience. I considered simply stating my personal advice or interviewing individuals and presenting their perspectives. However, I concluded that I wanted the strategies to directly align with the issues I mentioned in my previous posts. Study-, expert-, and article-based references would more wholly accomplish this. I also took the time to create my project report, including outlining what I had left to accomplish this week. Overall, I spent approximately thirteen hours accumulating, evaluating, and organizing all of my sources and posts. I also completed a final revision of the entire project, which involved checking writing quality, formatting text and images, and double-checking my sources for accuracy. Additionally, I built and printed my infographic to further grow my audience. Finally, I developed a personal action plan to help avoid negative algorithmic influences. I wanted this project to be more than something temporary, so this was my way of ensuring that outcome.