Imagine a time long ago when we relied on our tribe’s wise elders or respected leaders for knowledge. But now, in the vast landscape of social media, who can we trust? The algorithms that power these platforms are like mischievous tricksters, manipulating our natural instincts to cooperate and learn. They amplify the voices of trustworthy sources but also give power to those who seek influence without merit. As a result, society becomes susceptible to polarization and widespread misinformation. It’s a delicate balance between fostering connections and spreading confusion. While it’s fascinating to understand how human behavior and digital networks intersect, it’s also important for us to be aware of the potential consequences. To truly navigate the complex web of social media, we need to critically evaluate the information we consume and actively seek knowledge from reliable sources outside our digital bubbles. Join the conversation about this study to uncover more insights and find ways to harness technology for cooperation!

In prehistoric societies, humans tended to learn from members of our ingroup or from more prestigious individuals, as this information was more likely to be reliable and result in group success. However, with the advent of diverse and complex modern communities — and especially in social media — these biases become less effective. For example, a person we are connected to online might not necessarily be trustworthy, and people can easily feign prestige on social media. Now, a group of social scientists describe how the functions of social media algorithms are misaligned with human social instincts meant to foster cooperation, which can lead to large-scale polarization and misinformation.

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