arXiv subjects

Julia Kamin

Publications and source records attributed to Julia Kamin.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The Prosocial Ranking Challenge: Reducing Polarization on Social Media without Sacrificing Engagement

We report the first direct comparisons of multiple alternative social media algorithms on multiple platforms on outcomes of societal interest. We used a browser extension to modify which posts were shown to desktop social media users, randomly assigning 9,386 users to a control group or one of five alternative ranking algorithms which simultaneously altered content across three platforms for six months during the US 2024 presidential election. This reduced our preregistered index of affective polarization by an average of 0.03 standard deviations (p < 0.05), including a 1.5 degree decrease in differences between the 100 point inparty and outparty feeling thermometers. We saw reductions in active use time for Facebook (-0.37 min/day) and Reddit (-0.2 min/day), but an increase of 0.32 min/day (p < 0.01) for X/Twitter. We saw an increase in reports of negative social media experiences but found no effects on well-being, news knowledge, outgroup empathy, perceptions of and support for partisan violence. This implies that bridging content can improve some societal outcomes without necessarily conflicting with the engagement-driven business model of social media.

cs.SI↗

arXiv2025

Bridging Boundaries: How to Foster Effective Research Collaborations Across Affiliations in the Field of Trust and Safety

As the field of Trust and Safety in digital spaces continues to grow, it has become increasingly necessary - but also increasingly complex - to collaborate on research across the academic, industry, governmental and non-governmental sectors. This paper examines how cross-affiliation research partnerships can be structured to overcome misaligned incentives, timelines and constraints while delivering on the unique strengths of each stakeholder. Drawing on our own experience of cross-sector collaboration, we define the main types of affiliation and highlight the common differences in research priorities, operational pressures and evaluation metrics across sectors. We then propose a practical, step-by-step framework for initiating and managing effective collaborations, including strategies for building trust, aligning goals, and distributing roles. We emphasize the critical yet often invisible work of articulation and argue that cross-sector partnerships are essential for developing more ethical, equitable and impactful research in trust and safety. Ultimately, we advocate collaborative models that prioritize inclusivity, transparency and real-world relevance in order to meet the interdisciplinary demands of this emerging field.

cs.CY↗

arXiv2025

Prosocial Design in Trust and Safety

This chapter presents an overview of Prosocial Design, an approach to platform design and governance that recognizes design choices influence behavior and that those choices can or should be made toward supporting healthy interactions and other prosocial outcomes. The authors discuss several core principles of Prosocial Design and its relationship to Trust and Safety and other related fields. As a primary contribution, the chapter reviews relevant research to demonstrate how Prosocial Design can be an effective approach to reducing rule-breaking and other harmful behavior and how it can help to stem the spread of harmful misinformation. Prosocial Design is a nascent and evolving field and research is still limited. The authors hope this chapter will not only inspire more research and the adoption of a prosocial design approach, but that it will also provoke discussion about the principles of Prosocial Design and its potential to support Trust and Safety.

cs.HC↗