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Lesson 11 of 12 · AI in society

Who chooses what you see?

Students run an invented app's feed in a browser game, then act as a feed on paper and rank posts by different goals, and discuss filter bubbles, time spent and healthy habits.

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Lesson 11 of 12 · AI in society · Teacher's plan

Who chooses what you see?

Students run an invented app's feed in a browser game, then act as a feed on paper and rank posts by different goals, and discuss filter bubbles, time spent and healthy habits.

Students will be able to

  • explain that a recommendation feed chooses posts to reach a goal set by the app
  • show how the same posts are ranked differently for different goals
  • describe a filter bubble and why it can narrow what you see
  • plan two healthy habits for using feeds

Prepare

  • A projector and one teacher device with internet, or a few devices for pairs
  • The ManuAI page /play/lab/the-algorithm loaded in advance (free, no account)
  • One set of eight post cards per group, each showing a topic, number of likes and minutes watched
  • Four goal cards: most likes, most minutes watched, help me learn, friends first
  • One worksheet per student

Words to know

Feed:
The list of posts or videos an app shows you, one after another.
Recommendation:
A choice the app makes about what to show you next, based on data about you and others.
Filter bubble:
When a feed keeps showing you more of the same, so you rarely see other views or topics.

Main activity · In the browser: ManuAI

Be the feed

The class runs an invented app's feed in /play/lab/the-algorithm and sees how its choices change what users do. Groups then become the feed on paper, ranking the same eight post cards for different goals, which shows that what you see depends on what the app is trying to achieve.

ManuAI pages for this lesson

The 45-minute plan · 45 minutes

Warm-up6 min

Why this video?

  • Ask: "Have you watched one video and then the app kept showing you similar ones?" Take a few stories.
  • Ask: "Who decided what came next?" Draw out that a program chose it, using data such as what you watched and for how long.
  • Write the word feed on the board.
Activity17 min

Run a feed, then be the feed

  • Play /play/lab/the-algorithm on the projector for about 7 minutes. Let the class decide each choice by a show of hands.
  • Ask: "What did the app reward? What happened to the users?"
  • Give each group the eight post cards and one goal card. Groups pick the top three posts for their goal.
  • Each group reads out its top three. Write them on the board side by side.
  • Compare: the most-minutes feed and the help-me-learn feed look very different, though the posts were the same.
Practice17 min

Bubbles and habits

  • Explain the filter bubble: if the feed only shows what you already like, you see less of everything else.
  • Ask: "Why might an app want you to watch as long as possible?" Draw out that more time often means more adverts shown.
  • Students complete the worksheet in pairs.
  • Collect healthy habits on the board: turn off autoplay, set a time limit, tap "not interested", follow different kinds of accounts, put the phone away before sleep.
Wrap-up5 min

You can steer it

  • Remind the class that the feed learns from what you do, so their own taps and skips change it.
  • Each student chooses one habit to try this week.
  • Hand out the exit ticket.

Teacher tips

  • Some students have no social media accounts, and they should not be pushed to get one. The post cards and the browser game give everyone the same experience.
  • Misconception: "the feed shows what is most popular or most true". It shows what fits the app's goal for you. Popular and true are different things.
  • Curious students can read the embeddings lesson to see how apps measure that two videos are "similar". It is optional and not needed for the worksheet.

Exit ticket answers

  1. What decides which posts a recommendation feed shows you first? A. A program ranking posts toward a goal the app chose, using data about you and others
  2. Describe one way a filter bubble could affect a student. A good answer: If they only see videos about one game or one opinion, the feed shows more of the same. They may think everyone agrees and miss other topics and views.
  3. Which habit helps you stay in control of a feed? C. Setting a time limit and tapping "not interested" on things you do not want
Free to print and share in classrooms and at home.ManuAI · free AI lessons for everyone · ai.manusignal.com

Worksheet · Lesson 11 of 12 · AI in society

Who picks my feed?

NameClassDate

Use the post cards and what you saw in the game. Think about what the app wants and what you want.

  1. 1Write the top three posts your group chose for two different goals.

    PlaceGoal: most minutes watchedGoal: help me learn
    1
    2
    3

  2. 2Why might an app rank posts by minutes watched?

    • Because it is the only thing computers can count
    • Because the longer you stay, the more adverts it can show
    • Because teachers asked for it
    • Because it makes posts more truthful

  3. 3What is a filter bubble? Give an example from a video or music app.

  4. 4If you were designing a feed for students your age, what goal would you choose and why?

  5. 5Plan two healthy habits for using feeds.

    HabitWhen I will do it
Free to print and share in classrooms and at home.ManuAI · free AI lessons for everyone · ai.manusignal.com

Cut along the dotted lines: two tickets per page.

Exit ticket · Lesson 11ManuAI

Who chooses what you see?

NameClassDate

  1. 1What decides which posts a recommendation feed shows you first?

    • AA program ranking posts toward a goal the app chose, using data about you and others
    • BPure luck
    • CThe newest post always comes first
    • DYour teacher

  2. 2Describe one way a filter bubble could affect a student.

  3. 3Which habit helps you stay in control of a feed?

    • ALeaving autoplay on all night
    • BWatching everything the app suggests
    • CSetting a time limit and tapping "not interested" on things you do not want
    • DNever closing the app