Abstract
In contemporary digital environments, data has become a primary medium of communication; structuring what is visible, valued, and knowable in daily social interaction. This paper explores how code, platforms, and algorithmic systems function as forms of “mediation,” aligning with the Network’s conceptualization of media as technologies of between-ness. It argues that algorithms do not merely distribute content but actively shape communicative experiences by filtering attention, assigning relevance, and generating meaning. Drawing from media ecology, software studies, and critical data studies, the paper examines how algorithmic infrastructures - from social media feeds to recommendation engines - transform communication into a data-driven, predictive, and constantly adaptive process. Using examples from popular platforms, the study illustrates how data as media reconfigures identity performance, political discourse, and everyday social practices. Ultimately, the paper positions algorithmic mediation as a new cultural interface through which power, identity, and participation are negotiated. By reframing data as a communicative medium rather than a technical by-product, the study offers a conceptual foundation for understanding the socio-cultural implications of computational platforms in contemporary media systems.
Presenters
Ednah BiwotStudent, PhD, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
DATA,ALGORITHMS,PLATFORMS,MEDIATION,DIGITAL CULTURE,COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES, ALGORITHMIC IDENTITY
