algorithmic enclaves – Merlyna's Bits of Bytes

“Algorithmic enclaves”. I introduced this term in my 2017 article “Freedom to Hate” — which was instantaneously coined during the Q&A after my talk in Stockholm earlier that year (thank you folks for asking me hard questions!)– but didn’t detail the concept yet. Having read that article, some supportive colleagues suggested me to write an essay solely about the concept, so I did. Here it is:

Lim, M. (2020). Algorithmic enclaves: Affective politics and algorithms in the neoliberal social media landscape.published in: M. Boler & E. Davis (eds.), Affective Politics of Digital Media: Propaganda by Other Means.

You can download a copy-proof version through the link below — which is a 100% copy of the final version. For some unexpected reasons, it was impossible for me to copyedit and copy proof this one; I hope it still reads well .

https://bit.ly/32SpZ4j

Carleton University’s Faculty of Public Affairs runs a story of my research, as follows:

Mobilizing Emotion, Not Knowledge

As Canada prepares for a federal election, Canada Research Chair Professor Merlyna Lim is analyzing how social media users—human and otherwise—are mobilizing emotions rather than facts.

In the months leading up to the Canadian election, Facebook accounts with names like “Trudeau Has Got To Go”, “Overthrow Trudeau”, and Justin Trudeau is an Idiot” focus on ridiculing the Prime Minister.

On the opposite end of the political spectrum are accounts attacking Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, with names such as “Andrew Scheer Is An Idiot”, “Scheer Nonsense”, and “Schmeer 2019”.

Political cartoons and jokes are an age-old tradition. But Communication and Media Studies Professor Merlyna says that in the age of social media, hateful speech and misinformation spreads incredibly quickly—intensifying the polarization within politics.

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