University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Configuration and control in social media systems

Vaccaro, Kristen

Content Files
VACCARO-DISSERTATION-2020.pdf

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/109518

Description

Title
Configuration and control in social media systems
Author(s)
Vaccaro, Kristen
Issue Date
2020-12-02
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Karahalios, Karrie
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Karahalios, Karrie
Committee Member(s)
  • Hamilton, Kevin
  • Koyejo, Sanmi
  • Sundaram, Hari
  • Sandvig, Christian
Department of Study
Computer Science
Discipline
Computer Science
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Date of Ingest
2021-03-05T21:42:46Z
Keyword(s)
  • social computing
  • algorithmic experience
Abstract
Social media is an important means for interaction, but one that is increasingly curated by automated systems that aim to intelligently infer user intentions. This dissertation studies how users experience different mechanisms to configure and control these automated systems. Three sets of experiments, combining surveys, interviews, and participatory design workshops, seek to triangulate how users experience these mechanisms for control. We find that one prevalent mechanism, control settings, improves user satisfaction, but they do so whether or not they are functioning. Despite that, however, users describe turning to improvisational behaviors rather than control settings to see what they want on their news feeds. A second mechanism for control, appeals of content moderation decisions, does not improve user perceptions of the fairness, trustworthiness or accountability of the system, despite user calls for human review of automated decisions. These existing mechanisms appear to fall short of users’ needs. As a result, we explore a newly proposed mechanism for control – contestability, whereby systems are designed so that users can shape and influence decision-making processes. We find that when everyday users envision this, they require substantial (and currently absent) support in the form of representation, argumentation, access and compassion from platforms. While this dissertation identifies few easy solutions for the challenges of automated systems for social media, it calls for renewed attention the importance of control as a design feature.
Graduation Semester
2020-12
Type of Resource
Thesis
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/109518
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2020 Kristen Vaccaro

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