Uncovering the Interaction Equation: Quantifying the Effect of User Interactions on Social Media Homepage Recommendations

Hussam Habib; Ryan Stoldt; Raven Maragh-Lloyd; Brian Ekdale; Rishab Nithyanand

doi:10.48550/arxiv.2407.07227

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Uncovering the Interaction Equation: Quantifying the Effect of User Interactions on Social Media Homepage Recommendations

Preprint

Open access

Uncovering the Interaction Equation: Quantifying the Effect of User Interactions on Social Media Homepage Recommendations

Hussam Habib, Ryan Stoldt, Raven Maragh-Lloyd, Brian Ekdale and Rishab Nithyanand

arXiv.org

Cornell University

07/09/2024

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2407.07227

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https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2407.07227View

Preprint (Author's original)This preprint has not been evaluated by subject experts through peer review. Preprints may undergo extensive changes and/or become peer-reviewed journal articles. Open Access

Abstract

Social media platforms depend on algorithms to select, curate, and deliver content personalized for their users. These algorithms leverage users' past interactions and extensive content libraries to retrieve and rank content that personalizes experiences and boosts engagement. Among various modalities through which this algorithmically curated content may be delivered, the homepage feed is the most prominent. This paper presents a comprehensive study of how prior user interactions influence the content presented on users' homepage feeds across three major platforms: YouTube, Reddit, and X (formerly Twitter). We use a series of carefully designed experiments to gather data capable of uncovering the influence of specific user interactions on homepage content. This study provides insights into the behaviors of the content curation algorithms used by each platform, how they respond to user interactions, and also uncovers evidence of deprioritization of specific topics.

Computer Science - Computers and Society

Computer Science - Social and Information Networks

Details

Title: Subtitle: Uncovering the Interaction Equation: Quantifying the Effect of User Interactions on Social Media Homepage Recommendations
Creators: Hussam Habib - University of Iowa
Ryan Stoldt - Drake University
Raven Maragh-Lloyd - Washington University in St. Louis
Brian Ekdale - University of Iowa
Rishab Nithyanand - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Preprint
Publication Details: arXiv.org
DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2407.07227
eISSN: 2331-8422
Publisher: Cornell University; Ithaca, New York
Language: English
Date posted: 07/09/2024
Academic Unit: Center for Social Science Innovation; Computer Science; School of Journalism and Mass Communication; Law Faculty
Record Identifier: 9984656556302771

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