Gen Z "radicalized through TikTok" - Myth or Reality?

TikTok’s algorithm shapes the experiences of millions of young users, but what happens when personalized content recommendations contribute to polarization or radicalization? This talk dives into a cutting-edge research project investigating how TikTok’s recommendation system interacts with user behavior, focusing on the experiences of young adults aged 18–24.

Alexander Sobieska, project lead of the research project and PhD Student at the Chair of Ethics of AI and Neuroscience at the Technical University of Munich, and Yasmin Al-Douri, Co-Director of the Responsible Technology Hub will introduce the results of their citizen sciences research project "TikTalks" by the Responsible Technology Hub. The research project explores the inner workings of TikTok’s algorithm, how it tailors content recommendations based on user behavior and individual characteristics. By examining user interactions, we’ll uncover the platform’s potential to amplify misinformation and politically polarizing content, shedding light on the risks of radicalization of young people and the affect on their mental health.