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The magic of algorithms in controlling online life 

The magic of algorithms in controlling online life 

By Md Jahedul Islam
 
 
Due to the unprecedented wealth of modern information technology, another new world has been created in this world which is called "virtual world". This virtual world is basically the world of digital information technology. The main driving force behind this virtual world is the use of digital information technology. Where there is unlimited Internet like the sky, social media like Facebook and Twitter and many search engines like Google. Basically, we have created this digital virtual world around digital content like computers and mobile phones. At the core of managing this digital virtual world are some mathematical instructions, in computer terms called algorithms. This algorithm controls social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and search engines like Google worldwide. An algorithm is a method of doing something or a step-by-step process of doing something. For a computer or any device to perform a task, that task is divided into steps, so that the computer or device can easily understand it and act according to those instructions. A computer or any device cannot do any work by itself. But they have the power to implement the directives. They are told some method so that he can accomplish the task with his little intelligence (or no intelligence). The procedures are given in a precise and simple manner so that the task can be completed in a few mathematical steps. Basically these instructions are algorithms. Algorithms have come a long way now. Algorithms are currently making many decisions and giving back. And with those decisions we are moving forward technologically. There has been a lot of discussion lately about the use of algorithms in social media. Because people can see any news in these media or not, it is determined through this algorithm. Algorithm processes are constantly being updated so that the algorithm gets richer over time. As a result, it is difficult to tell whether algorithms or humans are making decisions. Algorithms decide exactly,But the algorithm makes its decisions based on human designs. Algorithms can speed up things that humans cannot easily calculate. Like one person cannot find his friend out of a hundred thousand people. But the algorithm can do that in moments. However, algorithms are currently being designed in such a way that the computer itself can learn new things over time without a designer. This is possible through data analysis which is called machine learning, deep learning or artificial intelligence. The algorithm can also learn when it receives new information. Because he has been taught how to learn. The network of algorithms is now so vast that it may seem at first glance that these mathematical instructions govern human life. Algorithms know what a person does, when and where they live, what they like to eat, what their social status is, which football club they support - from their social media usage. Also how we think, and how we think, seems to be being designed by someone. Algorithms are also deciding which news we watch and which we don't. The word algorithm means instruction. The use of this algorithm is not only limited to mathematics and science. Algorithms we are always using. Algorithms are basically the steps or instructions to solve a task. Many of us don't realize that algorithms started being used in the modern world. But the use of algorithms has been around for millennia. Mathematician Muhammad Ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi first used the term algorithm in the 9th century. He wrote a book on Hindi-Arabic numerals, which was later translated into Latin. The rise of the Internet has created huge databases, containing billions of data. These databases are spread all over the world. And search engines are needed to find information from these databases. With the help of this algorithm Google considers which pages are more reliable,If a site has more such reliable pages, Google assigns it a score and moves it up the rankings. The people who first developed the algorithm never thought of the negative aspects and did not think that the algorithm they created would have such an impact on the world. Algorithms have made our lives easier. Nowadays, whenever we need to know anything, we search it on Google. Google selects from millions of results and brings us the desired result, which takes less than a second to find. Algorithms make this possible. If we watch two or three videos related to FIFA Football - 2026 World Cup games on YouTube or Facebook videos, we will see that our timeline is filled with football related videos. That is, if we scroll through our Facebook, we can see only those that we like or dislike very much. In fact everything we do on these online platforms is constantly monitored. Stopped at a picture, how long I looked at it, liked and disliked i.e. by our usage patterns they know when we are happy, lonely or sad. Also, by looking at our usage patterns, they understand when we are looking at pictures of people we like, and this algorithm also knows whether we are introverts or extroverts. By using us in this way, they get to know all of us. And the system that controls these data or those who control them are not human beings. All these are controlled by algorithms. These algorithms are basically able to make your-me predictions in the virtual world of our movements online. Algorithms of social media should not harm users or create ill intentions in society.
 
Md Jahedul Islam
Network Technician (ICT Cell)
Jagannath University, Dhaka.

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