Participatory trouble: Towards an understanding of algorithmic structures on Facebook

Abstract

Several studies have engaged in understanding how the internet and online platforms increase political engagement through various forms of online participation and leverage social collective action. This article advances this line of research by exploring how social network sites in general and Facebook in particular are fuelled by algorithms that affect and become entangled with social practices on these sites. The article is empirically grounded in an analysis of 66 self-reflexive diaries on Facebook use and studies algorithmic structures on Facebook by exploring how personalized social feeds affect the experienced relationship between self and others as well as the readiness to share information to a network of peers. In contrast to studies that position online platforms as strengthening participatory political action, this article argues that it is necessary to take into account how algorithmic structures affect interpersonal relationships and the experienced ability to engage in participatory practices.