Author: N/A
Publisher: Diggit Magazine
Publication Year: 2019
Summary: The following article discusses how algorithms play a crucial role in overall participation in public life. When it comes to apps similar to Tinder, scholars stress the importance of interrogating algorithms as a “key feature of the cultural forms emerging in their shadows.” An algorithm can only function when paired with a database, so in order to uncover possible biases of output, human interference with algorithms needs to be included. Tinder is based on a collection of algorithms that augments its processes to solve problems on a bigger scale. One such collective is the Elo-score, also referred to as the ‘algorithm of desire.’ This is a scoring system that ranks people according to their ‘desirability.’ In short, if past users made discriminatory decisions, the algorithm will continue on the same, biased trajectory. Essentially, a new user signing up will never have a fresh experience and go down the path of biased suggestions.
