“YANGI AVLOD ILMIY TADQIQOTLARI” respublika ilmiy-amaliy konferensiyasi
DIGITAL CONTROL AND THE MANIPULATION OF INDIVIDUAL IDENTITY IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIAL NETWORKS
1Fergana State University, Department of Philosophy, Professor, Doctor of, Philosophical Sciences (DSc), 2Fergana State University, Department of Philosophy, PhD student
Annotatsiya
The article provides a socio-philosophical analysis of how the role of social networks in the global communication system has radically changed since the beginning of the 21st century, transforming from traditional means of information exchange into a complex technological infrastructure that shapes the modern “platform society” and controls social consciousness. At the center of the research lies the dual nature of social networks – on the one hand, creating opportunities for free communication by democratizing information exchange, and on the other hand, the problem of establishing new types of data-driven digital control mechanisms over users' activities. The article reveals that the information flow is not sorted chronologically, but rather through an "algorithmic curation" system that operates based on tracking user behavior and possesses the characteristics of a “black box.” The real social and political consequences of these processes are examined using the example of the “Cambridge Analytica” scandal, substantiating how the “microtargeting” method aimed at the psychological characteristics of users manipulates political views. Additionally, the article analyzes how the “attention economy” model, aimed at maximizing attention retention, and the phenomenon of “echo chambers,” which isolates users from alternative viewpoints, narrow the individual's worldview. It is shown that under such conditions of algorithmic persuasion, personal identification in the digital environment (“performative identification”) is becoming a secondary process under the influence of audience expectations and algorithmic effects. In conclusion, it is emphasized that human cognitive independence, cognition, and decision-making processes are increasingly falling under the influence of algorithmic control, putting forward the assertion that this situation requires a deeper study of the impact of artificial intelligence on human thinking.
Kalit so'zlar: social networks, digital control, manipulation, algorithmic curation, data-driven control, echo chambers, attention economy, performative identification, microtargeting, algorithmic persuasion