A scoping review of personalized user experiences on social media: The interplay between algorithms and human factors

Abstract

No social media user sees the same feed. These platforms are personalized to the individual with the aid of algorithms that filter and prioritize content based on users' demographic profiles and personal data. On the one hand, this personalization aids the user by making the service more relevant, for instance by curating information of interest. On the other hand, personalization introduces potential risks associated with privacy concerns, lack of autonomy and control, as well as limited diversity of information. This scoping review presents an overview of the current state of knowledge of social media personalization from different research domains, providing insight on social media users’ algorithmic awareness, their customization habits, their interactions with curated content, and the debate on how algorithms may create closed information outlets. It also provides a condensed overview of the different terminology used across domains, in the form of a glossary.

Keywords

• Personalization
• Social media
• Algorithmic awareness
• Curation
• Filter bubbles
• Echo chambers