Introduction
The increasingly rapidly evolving digital landscape is shaping today’s world, making it imperative for us to grasp the dynamic nature of communication technology, its intersection with society, and its impact on individual identity. With the immense rise in algorithmic curation of our online presence, for instance, music streaming platforms like Kugou Music or social media, creating an open debate on the subject is vital to understanding how it impacts our way of expressing ourselves digitally. I will investigate a social media theme of algorithm-based onology of online identity from a personal experience as an audience member of Kugou Music and then connect these reflections with the course and research outcomes. Through carefully assessing the advantages and disadvantages of algorithmic recommendations, this essay emphasizes that a user understands what algorithmic curation will do and takes full responsibility for their choices in the digital realm.
The generation of new digital technologies and the filling in of the roles of algorithms in curating media content have completely changed how we receive and participate in content. Currently, Kugou Music has streamed into several people’s lives and become a part of their routine, acting as their intimate companion, offering personal settings according to specific demands. Nevertheless, as technology has comfortably customized our online experiences and shaped us to rely on its systems to engage with our peers strongly, it is necessary to consider and acknowledge how these machine-dependent systems influence our mindsets and social interactions. This article intends to unravel the complicated bond between algorithmic curation and digital identity by applying my personal reflections, course concepts, and scholars’ reports as tools to realize a comprehensive understanding of the art.
This write-up will explore the underlying societal implications of increasingly algorithmic curation by conducting a study on Kugou Music’s recommendation algorithms and how they influenced my musical expedition and online identity. This paper considers the strengths and weaknesses of the said developments. It provides my perspective on the ongoing debate on the role of technology in constructing our identities and social realities. Consequently, by providing a more educated and thoughtful approach than just our dealings with algorithmic filtering, we can strive to build a digital space where users can freely and honestly be themselves so much that it lets the algorithm learn the true essence of each person, therefore making discovery easy and user-centred.
Revised Theme Analysis
This essay’s chosen theme centers on algorithms’ profound influence on our digital identities and self-expression. As a frequent user of Kugou Music, I have personally experienced how the platform’s recommendation algorithms match my existing musical preferences and actively shape my tastes and online persona. By curating a personalized soundscape that reflects my mood and activities, from soft music for moments of introspection to energetic beats for workouts, Kugou Music has become an integral part of my digital identity (Gasher et al., 2020, p. 142). However, upon further reflection, I have realized that these algorithms are more than just helpful tools for discovering new music. In many ways, they act as “invisible friends” that anticipate our desires and shape our self-perception and external image subtly but significantly (Gasher et al., 2020, p. 142). As my musical preferences evolve based on Kugou Music’s suggestions, so does my online profile, presenting a dynamic and multifaceted digital identity to others.
This algorithmic influence on my digital identity extends beyond music streaming. As I share my Kugou Music-curated playlists on social media platforms and engage with others with similar musical interests, I am actively constructing a specific online persona shaped by the algorithm’s recommendations. This process of identity performance, as described by Goffman (1959), involves the selective presentation of certain aspects of the self to create a desired impression on others. In the context of algorithmic curation, this performance is mediated by the suggestions and preferences generated by the platform’s algorithms. Moreover, the impact of algorithmic curation on digital identity is not limited to individual experiences. As more and more people rely on platforms like Kugou Music to discover and engage with music, the collective musical landscape becomes increasingly shaped by algorithmic recommendations, which can lead to the emergence of new subcultures and communities centred around specific musical genres or artists that the algorithm’s suggestions have amplified. Thus, algorithmic curation not only influences individual identities but also has the potential to shape broader cultural trends and social dynamics.
Theoretical Framework
A thorough and truthful elaboration on the part played by algorithmic curation in digital identity development involves scrutinizing the course materials and research by experts in the field. Likewise, as has been mentioned in lectures, our digital selves are not static characters but rather ongoing scriptwritings that keep changing due to our communication with technology (Gasher et al., 2020, p. 142). This idea mainly manifests itself when looking at the role of algorithms in our online lives in terms of personalized experiences and individualized expression.
In addition, the issue of ideal self-presentation, the effect of social media platforms on identity performance, as discussed in class, gives a deeper insight into how, if algorithms decide what we see, we will end up presenting ourselves as our ideal self, thus making someone we are not (Gasher et al., 2021, p. 27). Consequently, the music we may be listening to and sharing on social media remains a part of us, and thus, the suggestions and recommendations provided by platforms like Kugou Music, moulding our online selves in the process, can highly impact how others perceive us. Anyone will understand the statement if you combine it with the results of analytical reports of different sciences. For example, a recent journal article by Seaver (2019) addresses the whole structure of algorithmic curation and the idea of user agency, which brings the matter of how the internet influences our lives to the front. The author asserts that users may still have, to a certain extent, dominance over their digital selves having interactions with these algorithms, as they function primarily to filter and personalize the content. This point aligns with the need for a user-oriented approach to algorithmic discovery while choosing not to consider algorithms as automated sources for content provision.
Also, a book chapter by Dembrofsky and Wood (2014) studies self-expression on social networks. It looks into how people balance the presentation of a real-life self and the curated self, which is much easier to maintain and intensively pursue. The algorithm designers argue that when algorithms become increasingly clever in predicting your preferences, they may be unlikely to offer other diversities of content, eventually limiting the identities you get online (Dubrofsky & Wood, 2014). With this knowledge lies the possibility of certain drawbacks that would limit the self-expression of the individual and, on the other hand, reinforce normal identities. Moreover, one of the theoretical looks known is “algorithmic identity” espoused by Cheney-Lippold (2011). This idea is about how algorithms sort and draw conclusions based on somebody’s online activity and interactions using that information. The claims of Cheney-Lippold (2011), for instance, have it that these algorithmic authorities perform not only descriptive but also a prescriptive role, determining what an individual encounters and comes across online. In the case of Musorgsky’s work, the concept of a programme is to shed light on unrecognized iconic historical characters and critical social issues.
The totality of algorithmic curation on digital identity or culture can be earned in the context of the term “algorithmic culture” deployed by Striphas (2015), which refers to the growing role of algorithms in moulding how and how culture is produced and consumed. Striphas (2015) argues that algorithms shape individual experiences and help determine which ideas and content become visible and even popular in the mass media. With music streaming, the algorithmic culture can consciously favour some artists over others and reproduce specific genres while allowing others to disappear, causing the comparative imbalance of the whole musical landscape and of the listeners' identities.
Another issue is that the algorithms that govern the development of digital identities can also be brought about by ‘data doubles’ proposed by Haggerty & Ericson (2000), as the digital profiles account for human activities and personal details. According to Cheney-Lippold (2017), data doubles do not always imitate but act as the core analytics and content algorithmic decision-making and curation. In the case of digital music streaming, doubles of data can end up directing the kind of music recommendations users get, which, in turn, moulds the individual’s music taste, ultimately assisting in building their digital identities.
Lastly, the public lecture of a highly recognized scholar, Shoshanna Zuboff(2019), digs further into the implications of a larger society of data-driven personalizations and algorithmic curation. Zuboff claims that as a result of monitoring and digitizing individual activities to create personalized experiences for the users, platforms can correct even the most minor behaviors and preferences, which is a growing power they gain (Zuboff, 2019). From this angle, the question of ethical elements that may be present in algorithm curation and the vague possibility of such devices being used as tools of manipulation and control arise.
Examining algorithmic curation through analytical and philosophical paradigms and incorporating scholars’ contributions will lead to a complete definition of the diverse ways in which algorithmic curatorship influences digital identity structure and self-expression. These frameworks, from the fair representation of algorithmic identity to the broader impact of algorithmic culture and data doubles, serve as valuable lenses through which the effect of musical platforms like Kugou Music on the individual or the overall experience, in particular, can be examined. In exploring a world where we find ourselves engaged with algorithms and the virtual world, interventions from such theories remain paramount in helping us form a healthy, reflective and sensitive attitude to the connection of technology and personality.
Critical Analysis
Combining the course theories and the applications of scholarly perspectives to my personal experience with Kugou Music, I make several profound conclusions on digital identity and how adopted algorithms affect digital identity. They are instrumental as they do not reflect the pre-existing R quires of musical tastes of the users but shape them for time to come (Gasher et al., 2020, p.142). The algorithm proceeds with its continuous uncovering of my preferences and my listening history interactions; thus, it directs my online music identity into a progressively narrow range of music suggestions, which constantly mediates my listening history.
First, much of this occurs when I interact and share my Kugou Music-edited playlists on social media platforms. As a result, I am advertising an activity produced by the algorithm rather than my ideal self (Gasher et al., 2020, p. 142). Algorithmic curation is secretly as robust as I have the chance to demonstrate a wide range of musical interests that fit me the most, from artistic orchestral to modern electronic dance music. Thus, I can occupy a specific niche online in the media noise. The phenomenon of identity performance throughout this experience is reinforced by how I receive feedback and human interactions with other individuals who come across my music-related posts. However, the automatization mechanism of algorithmic curation can lead to other side effects that should be planned initially, even for the issues related to self-personality and expression. With my musical identity’s genre and style narrowing, the chance of getting exposed to a more specific list in my recommended music from Kugou Music will increase. Also, this could limit the diversity of the musical styles in my identity over time. Echo Chamber,” according to Pariser (2011), maybe the consequence, and people can become unable to find an alternative voice.
I am not only influenced by this algorithm-based curation of my music choices to be a better individual, but it also affects my social interaction and relationships as early as possible. Research shows that as the Google algorithm recommends similar music to other users on the same platform, they may group themselves in an echo chamber where specific ideas and preferences are reinforced. Dissenting arguments are instead ignored or minimized. Such results in a reduction of a community where people encounter and learn different Iivers of minds, resulting in a narrow world.
Another different perspective is to examine whether algorithmic curation could replicate and reproduce existing biases and inequities. Meanwhile, the algorithms used by platforms like Kugou Music have their primary function, and this involves learning past biases and user data; as such, they may unintentionally reproduce societal biases, particularly those related to factors such as race, gender and class (Noble, 2018). For example, the AI algorithm involves the tendency to focus primarily on male artists and genres; if these are the ones which are mostly listened to by a particular user base, then it may marginalize the sounds created by female and non-binary artists. This algorithmic bias is like a tool to reinforce existing power and prevent some groups from being visible and significantly influencing digital music.
In addition, they (as Zuboff, 2019) depict that there might also be high privacy risks on their current lake of personal data calculated for optimization of their algorithms. Citizens gradually have to live with the fact that these self-educating systems can anticipate and identify personal choices and behaviour patterns, thus invoking the disturbing thought that one’s self happens to be shaped by complex algorithmic processes that we do not fully understand and do not fully control. This indecency in algorithms as influencers needs more transparency and accountability to raise significant questions about users’ autonomy and the possibility of corporations manipulating the algorithm. Nevertheless, the imperative of the moment demands the acknowledgment that algorithmic curation can process colossal music collections, help music enthusiasts find their favourite music, and unite people with similar musical tastes. By suggesting artists and peaks that comply with my tastes, Kugou Music has presented an enriching occasion of rancid music that I would have needed to have detected singly. Furthermore, this platform allowed me to converse with other users who love music. Currently, the forum is where we always meet and engage in meaningful conversations that revolve around music.
Conclusion
In summary, the impacts of algorithmic curation on digital identity will be better understood from my own experience using Kugou Music as a tool; it will help show the complex relationship between users’ agency and algorithmic creativity. In this sense, platforms like Kugou Music provide a unique avenue for self-expression and discovering content tailored to personal preferences. However, in the long run, it raises important inquiries about algorithmic curation’s effects on individual identity and social interactions. Consequently, as we walk through an ever-digital world governed by algorithms, users should be prepared to realize how these algorithms condition the internet experience and self-projection. Through meaningful interaction with the algorithmic curation system, giving feedback and discovering the content diversity beyond the platform’s recommendation procedures, a user takes more significant influence over his or her digital identity.
It is essential to conduct more research to understand the social consequences of algorithmic selection and its influence on culture, privacy, and individuality. With platforms like Kugou Music being improved and rectified, it is crucial for scholars, policymakers and users at the same time to rethink the ethics of these systems and work closely with each other to construct a digital world that users can benefit from and, at the same time, this world must defend the privacy and autonomy of the people. At the end of the day, nurturing a multi-layered comprehension of how the matchmaking processes and algorithms affect one’s self-expression on the internet can contribute to creating a more inclusive, diverse, and human-oriented online experience that aspires to the level of each person’s unique character while utilizing the pluses of individualized content discovery.
References
Cheney-Lippold, J. (2011). A new algorithmic identity: Soft biopolitics and the modulation of control. Theory, Culture & Society, 28(6), 164–181. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263276411424420
Cheney-Lippold, J. (2017). We are data: Algorithms and the making of our digital selves. NYU Press.
Dubrofsky, R. E., & Wood, M. M. (2014). Posting racism and sexism: Authenticity, agency and self-reflexivity in social media. In Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies (Vol. 11, Issue 3, pp. 282–287). https://doi.org/10.1080/14791420.2014.926247
Gasher, M., Skinner, D., & Lorimer, R. (2020). Media and communication in Canada: Networks, culture, technology, audiences (9th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Haggerty, K. D., & Ericson, R. V. (2000). The surveillant assemblage. The British Journal of Sociology, 51(4), 605-622. https://doi.org/10.1080/00071310020015280
Pariser, E. (2011). The filter bubble: What the Internet is hiding from you. Penguin Press.
Seaver, N. (2019). Captivating algorithms: Recommender systems as traps. Journal of Material Culture, 24(4), 421–436. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359183518820366
Striphas, T. (2015). Algorithmic culture. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 18(4-5), 395-412. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367549415577392
Zuboff, S. (2019, January 25). The age of surveillance capitalism: The fight for a human future at the new frontier of power [Public lecture]. Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, MA, United States. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbP0QwxhvWE
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