Gabriela Stavinchi and social media: ‘Sometimes, all that war content scares me’

Algorithms guide us through the endless maze of the internet. One person sees the Russia-Ukraine war from Ukraine’s perspective, while another sees Russian propaganda. This month, we’re stepping into the bubble of Gabriela Stavinchi (20), a Global Law bachelor’s student.

Do algorithms put you in a filter bubble? If so, do you try to get out of it?

‘I definitely think I’m in a filter bubble. For example, I often see videos about the Russia-Ukraine war, but I only get videos from Ukraine’s side.

I never see videos from the Russian perspective, but to be honest, I’d probably skip those quickly. Watching them longer would mean I’d get more of that content, and those videos would gain more popularity. I don’t support Russia, so I don’t want to contribute to promoting Russian war videos.’

What’s your most unusual experience with algorithms?

‘When I first moved to the Netherlands to study, I wanted to visit other cities and attractions. I used TikTok for inspiration and found a lot of beautiful videos about Almere.

I went with high expectations, but Almere is really ugly and looks nothing like the videos I’d seen. Apparently, it was a joke that I didn’t get. Now, I often double-check on Google if the information from social media is true. I don’t fully trust it anymore.’

Have you had negative experiences with algorithms?

‘Yes. Sometimes, I get videos about wars, like propaganda from Israel. In some cases, it’s even fake news. I don’t want to see videos that I find unethical, such as Israeli propaganda.

Sometimes, it even scares me a little, all that war content. When that happens, I always use the “I don’t want to see this information” option. Luckily, it feels like that helps.’

On which app do you notice algorithms the most, and why?

‘I feel like everything on TikTok revolves around algorithms. I don’t really follow people on TikTok because it’s unnecessary. If I watch a cute baby video, I know I’ll see that baby again. It works very conveniently.’

You’re from Moldova. Do you notice a difference between your algorithm there and here in the Netherlands?

‘Definitely. In the Netherlands, I see much more about the Israel-Palestine conflict, while in Moldova, it’s mostly about the Russia-Ukraine war. Moldova borders Ukraine, so there’s a lot of fake news and fear-mongering about the current war.

Many young men in Moldova have even been scared into leaving the country. I see this with my parents, too; they’re shown incredibly negative news and distorted propaganda about the war. They’re made to feel much more fearful than I am here in the Netherlands.’

Are you positive or negative about algorithms?

‘All in all, I’m positive about my algorithms. I don’t like scrolling through lots of videos I’m not interested in, so algorithms make my life much easier!

My mother runs a business in Moldova, and I’m her social media manager. I’ve noticed algorithms can really work to my advantage when promoting her business. I’m glad I can help her in that way.’

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