It's all about you : personalized Facebook news feeds' impact on users' exposure to ideologically varied content

This critical literature analysis is a comprehensive collection and review of the literature concerning the use of recommender systems to curate social media content, specifically Facebook News Feeds. This Major Research Paper (MRP) critically evaluates the existing research to consolidate the literature on insular online spaces, identify ways in which public opinion could be affected by insular content, and find strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the literature. After completing an extensive literature review and analysis, it was determined that researchers are polarized by the topic, while journalists (whose articles comprise the considered supplementary literature) are united in their reporting of Facebook as being a filter bubble. While additional empirical research is necessary for a firm conclusion to be drawn about insular online existences, preliminary results indicate that Facebook News Feeds’ ability to curate personalized content may be manipulating and limiting users’ exposure to ideologically varied media.