Me, Myself, and the Algorithm
Tanya Kant · 2020
Abstract If “personalization” involves rendering something personally relevant, then how should “personhood” be understood, constituted, and theorized? To explore this question, this chapter scrutinizes not just “algorithmic” identity, but also broader concepts of what is meant by personhood and the self. The chapter looks to understand how users have come to be understood both inside and outside of algorithmic constitution. It argues that it is only through understanding social subjects as performatively constituted by both algorithmic and sociocultural protocols that it is possible to untangle the nuances that algorithmic personalization produces in social interaction. The chapter also considers in more detail how researchers constitute and negotiate the lived experiences of the participant accounts that they draw on.