Our Life is Dominated by YouTube Algorithms
Managing Editor An So-hyun
sohyun_ovo@naver.com
An algorithm is a collection of procedures, methods, and instructions necessary to logically solve a given problem. Algorithms have a lot of influence, even in our lives. Probably you have searched the Internet for things you want to buy. And then, sometime later you have probably experienced that product being advertised. This happens because algorithms in smartphones automatically analyze what you are interested in.
On the video sharing site, ‘YouTube’, there also appear video recommendations due to algorithms. Based on the video contents that you usually enjoy watching, it recommends videos that you would like. As people have spent more time at home due to COVID-19, the time they have spent watching YouTube has also increased. Are you not curious why only your favorite videos appear? It is because of YouTube’s ‘AI recommendation algorithm’. Unlike existing media, people perceive YouTube as a platform that is relatively autonomous and has easy access to various topics. Recently, we have been consuming a variety of content in the form of fast and light broadcast media, which is rapidly growing and still unknown.
However, the YouTube recommended algorithm system is not designed for the convenience of viewers. In the case of general shopping malls, the purpose is to increase sales by providing recommendation algorithms through the basis of the user’s past behavior. In addition, YouTube aims to increase the stay time of videos. This stay time is linked to the exposure time of the video, or advertisement, and this is related to increasing YouTube advertising revenue. YouTube was able to establish itself as a huge advertising platform such as ‘Google AdSense’ was visualized. YouTube, which collects a variety of information from users watching the video, has become an effective advertising platform. That allows advertisers to target specific individuals with specific advertisements. Instead of advertising to indiscriminate viewers, it analyzes not only the location, age, and gender of viewers, but also the preference it has seen before and finally provides advertisements.
If someone abuses the characteristics of the recommended algorithm and uses it with impure intentions, it cannot be prevented in any way for now. For example, it is possible to increase the frequency of exposure of videos containing biased content and fake news with political intent. It may be dangerous to get absorbed into the YouTube algorithm, which has become a huge media group.