Algoritma Jadi Penentu Opini Publik

the role of algorithms in the formation of public opinion

In the past, the mass media was considered the main actor who determined the public agenda. Newspapers, television, and radio have the power to choose which issues deserve public attention. Now, the role is slowly shifting. What determines what we read, watch, believe, and even debate every day is no longer just a human editor, but an algorithm.

Every time someone opens TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, or the Google search engine, he’s actually interacting with an algorithm system that works non-stop. The algorithm collects digital traces in the form of clicks, watch durations, comments, locations, to search history and then compiles content recommendations that are considered the most attractive to users. The goal is simple, which is to keep the user’s attention as long as possible.

However, the problem is no longer as simple as a technology problem. Algorithms have now become “invisible editors” that determine what issues arise on the homepage, who gets the public’s attention, and what narratives are developing in digital space. In the context of modern communication, the algorithm has transformed into a social actor who has the ability to influence the formation of public opinion.

viral becomes the standard of truth

This phenomenon becomes more real when people get most of the information through social media compared to conventional media. News is no longer chosen based on the public interest, but based on the potential for interaction. The higher the chance of content getting clicks, comments, or re-sharing, the greater the chance that the content will be disseminated by an algorithmic system.

As a result, issues that are not really important can go viral, while more substantial information actually sinks because it is considered less attractive in algorithmic. This is where serious problems arise for democracy and the quality of public communication.

Recent research on the concept of Algorithmic Public Opinion explains that social media algorithms are not only a channel for distribution of information, but also act as new gatekeepers that determine what issues get the public’s attention. In other words, the formation of public opinion is now the result of interactions between users, digital platforms, content creators, and algorithmic systems that work automatically.

Bubble Filter and Digital Echo Room

It is not surprising that the Bubble Filter phenomenon (the condition of intellectual alienation in cyberspace that occurs due to search engine algorithms and social media platforms) and echo chamber (a condition in which a person is only exposed to information, opinions, or views that are in line with their own beliefs) is increasingly being discussed by communication researchers. Algorithms tend to recommend content that suits user preferences. The more a person likes a certain type of information, the more similar content appears on his homepage.

Over time a person lives in a homogeneous information space. He only sees opinions that strengthen his own beliefs, while different perspectives appear less and less. As a result, public dialogue becomes increasingly difficult because each group feels they have “truth” based on information that is continually confirmed by the algorithm.

A systematic review of research on filter bubbles and echo chambers found that social media algorithms tend to strengthen the homogeneity of information, limit the diversity of points of view, and have the potential to increase polarization, especially among young people who are very active in using social media. Although users have a certain awareness of how the algorithm works, their ability to get out of algorithmic curation is still limited.

Indonesia is not immune to the influence of the algorithm

This phenomenon is also increasingly visible in Indonesia. Various issues can go viral in just a matter of hours because they are driven by a digital platform recommendation system. Not a few people who finally know an event not because of the importance of the information, but because the algorithm places it on the main page of social media.

A number of studies in Indonesia show that artificial intelligence algorithms on social media form a bubble filter through personalization of content so that it affects digital communication patterns and users’ perceptions of social reality. Users tend to receive information that is in line with their interests, habits, and views.

In the political context, research on public response to post-election content 2024 on YouTube also shows that the algorithm has the potential to strengthen polarization because users are more often presented with content that is in accordance with their political preferences. This condition makes the inter-group dialogue space more narrow.

Algorithms are not enemies, but must be supervised

However, blaming the algorithm completely is not the right move. Algorithms basically have no ideology, political interests, or personal preferences. The system works based on the goals set by the technology company, namely increasing user engagement.

Problems arise when the size of the platform’s success is determined more by the number of clicks, watch times, and interactions than the quality of the information circulating. As a result, content that is sensational, controversial, or triggers emotions often gets higher priority over deep and educative information.

In other words, the algorithm actually increases the tendency of human behavior. What we click often will be the basis for the system to present more similar content.

It’s time to improve the literacy of the algorithm

The challenge of digital communication today is no longer enough to be answered through digital literacy in the sense of recognizing hoaxes or verifying information. Society also needs algorithmic literacy (algorithmic literacy), namely the ability to understand how the algorithm works, why a content appears on the homepage, and how a recommendation system can affect the way a person looks at an issue.

This awareness is important so that people do not consider social media timelines as an objective representation of reality. What appears on our screen is not always the most important information, but the information that is considered the most capable of maintaining the attention of users.

Keeping the Public Space Healthy

In the end, the question we need to ponder is no longer whether the algorithm affects public opinion. Various studies have shown that the influence is real, although the level varies depending on the platform, user behavior, and social context.

A much more important question is whether society still has room to think critically in the midst of the flow of information that has been curated by the algorithm. Don’t let the freedom to choose information only become an illusion, while the choice has actually been directed by a system that works behind the scenes.

If in the past the expression “media to form public opinion” was considered a truth, then in the era of artificial intelligence this expression needs to be updated. Now, algorithms are no longer just digital communication support technology. He has become an actor who determines the direction of public conversation, shapes public perception, influences decision making, and ultimately contributes to the future of democracy in the digital era.