Trending topics’ ability to guide the debate: the agenda setting of the algorithm

Abstract

The social media algorithm works with a complex artificial intelligence system to create a timeline that keeps users in front of the screen. Through topics that become trends, the algorithm guides the public debate by means of a logic: the topics appear, most of the time, on Twitter, in accounts of politicians, journalists or influencers, and migrate to other networks. Considering the possibility of artificially producing trend topics on Twitter by using robots, the debates that are generated may represent an imbalance in the political system. Based on bibliographical research and document analysis, this article reflects on the way in which certain technological procedures can directly influence the formation of public opinion.

algorithm; trending topics; Twitter; networks; discourse