Research Symposium

BIO

My name is Sophia Furer, and I’m originally from Brooklyn, New York. I’m a second-year honors student at Florida State University majoring in Finance. I plan to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and pursue law school afterward, with the goal of building a career in corporate law. I’m passionate about the intersection of business and legal strategy. In my free time, I enjoy going to the gym, doing Pilates, and spending time with friends.

Algorithmic Imaginaries

Abstract

Research shows that algorithms have become a vital part of individuals' daily lives in today’s digital age (Butcher, 2015). While social media serves as a convenient source of information—such as political campaign posts on Instagram, step-by-step tutorials on TikTok, and inspiration on Pinterest—users generally believe that algorithms effectively curate relevant content for their feeds (Oeldorf- Hirsch & Srinivasan, 2022). However, few studies examine how students actively engage with and influence algorithms beyond passive consumption.
Recently, studies on students’ algorithmic literacy and awareness have expanded. Previous studies have primarily focused on students' algorithmic awareness (Brodsky et al., 2020; Koenig, 2020) and users' perceptions of algorithms (Shin, 2021; Zarouali et al., 2021). However, further research is needed to explore how students design and manipulate their algorithms, ultimately enhancing their media literacy skills.
This study uses algorithmic imagination, defined as “the way in which people imagine, perceive and experience algorithms and what these imagination make possible” (Bitcher, 2019, p. 31), as a theoretical lens to conduct a systematic literature review of existing studies.

Keywords: Algorithmic Imaginaries Algorithm