Wednesday Edition: The Algorithm Dilemma
Plus: Should we care about noncitizen voting?
Bubba
04 Sep
1. The Algorithm Dilemma
Social media algorithms are typically designed to keep us engaged with platforms, but maybe that’s not such a good thing. (Business Insider)
What X/Twitter owner Elon Musk said this weekend:
Zoom in: Some users have complained that X has become more toxic since Musk took over the site in 2022 and fired many of the employees responsible for moderating content.
According to one study, the overall volume of hate speech on Twitter nearly doubled post-Musk acquisition.
X claimed last year that roughly 500 million tweets are published to the site each day.
Zoom out: Surveys have found that much of the content social media users see is dramatic and confrontational.
Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management researchers:
Social-media algorithms are designed to maximize engagement: clicks, likes, time spent on the platform, and so on. And because our brains are biased to see [prestigious, in-group, moral, and emotional] information as important—and therefore engaging—algorithms have learned over time to serve us a whole lot of it. As a result, there’s an incentive for users to post in ways that appeal to our taste for prestigious, in-group, moral, and emotional content.
Bubba’s Two Cents
Think of content like a diet where you’ve got a a spectrum of nutritional value, from kale to heroin. Heroin (clickbait/outrage) makes you feel good for a fleeting moment and bad if you consume it regularly. Kale (deep substance) might be less exciting but is much better for you in the long run.
As Musk implied in his recent tweet, algorithms aren’t that great at balancing this diet. That doesn’t mean he was necessarily wrong to do away with X’s content moderation apparatus (which in the past has gotten in the way of free expression). But it does suggest that human judgment is key to effective content curation.
2. The Case for Paternalism
Two recent developments cut against the idea that paternalism—when authority figures make decisions for others for their own good—is always a bad thing. (WaPo)
Drugs: Measure 101, Oregon’s brief flirtation with decriminalization of hard drugs, officially came to an end Sunday following a spike in fentanyl overdoses and other issues.
Under Measure 101, people caught with small amounts of drugs were given the option of paying a $100 fine or getting screened for substance abuse treatment.
Of the 7,227 people cited, only 85 completed the screening.
Of the $899,413 in fines imposed by Oregon circuit courts, the state collected just $78,143.
Gambling: A number of recent studies have found that the legalization of sports betting has been detrimental to many Americans’ finances.
States that legalized online gambling have seen a 28% increase in bankruptcies and an 8% increase in debt collection amounts.
Increased rates of auto loan delinquencies are also linked to sports betting legalization.
Bubba’s Two Cents
Regular readers of this newsletter have probably gleaned that I fall squarely on the “let people do what they want as long as they’re not hurting anyone” side of the spectrum. That being said, I think a) there are limits to that philosophy and b) we should use data to help inform our decision making. At the end of the day, outcomes should take priority over political dogma.
3. Should We Even Care About Noncitizen Voting?
Democrats and mainstream journalists have accused Republicans of making a mountain out of a molehill, claiming that while noncitizen voting happens, it’s rare. (AP)
Associated Press correspondent David Lieb:
GOP officials have undertaken reviews of voter rolls, issued executive orders and placed constitutional amendments on state ballots as part of an emphasis on thwarting noncitizen voting. Some Democrats contend the measures could create hurdles for legal voters, are unnecessary and lead people to believe the problem of noncitizens voting is bigger than it really is.
The data: Texas has removed 6,500 potential noncitizens from voter rolls since 2021, with 1,930 flagged for investigation.
Ohio found 138 noncitizens who voted and 459 who registered but didn't vote.
Alabama identified 3,251 noncitizens on voter rolls, moving them to inactive status.
Georgia flagged 1,634 noncitizens attempting to register between 1997 and 2022, none were successfully registered.
GOP strategist Matt Whitlock’s take:
The vibes: A 2023 Honest Elections Project poll found 89% of Americans (including 82% of Democrats) think elections should only be for U.S. citizens.
Zoom out: Tablet Magazine staff writer Armin Rosen noted in a new essay that a number of sweeping changes to voting laws have contributed to growing distrust of the electoral system.
Rosen’s two cents:
Whatever happens in November, one-third to one-half of the country is likely to doubt the integrity of the vote. Whether these people are Democrats or Republicans, it will be foolhardy to dismiss them as disinformation-addled cranks. A democracy exists in the minds of its citizens, in the intangible shared belief that the political compact accurately reflects some measurable quantity of the popular will. But the new American voting system is practically calibrated to produce mistrust, and to create broad segments of public opinion that believe the whole thing is fake—regardless of who wins.
4. Migrant Crime in NYC
The number: Migrants account for approximately 75% of recent arrests in Midtown Manhattan, particularly for crimes like robbery, assault, and domestic violence, the New York Post reported Monday, citing police sources.
The context: Immigration continues to be a top concern for voters as both presidential candidates try to lay claim to the “tough-on-the-border” mantle.
Bubba’s Two Cents
Kamala Harris and her fellow Democrats have taken great pains to rehab the party’s open borders image. And that’s why stories like these, which shine a spotlight on the direct impact of lax immigration policies, are a PR nightmare for them.
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