Research on the Gaps in Algorithm Avoidance Behavior among Youth Groups from the Perspective of Hegemony Theory

Abstract

With the popularization of algorithmic recommendation systems on digital platforms, algorithmic recommendation has gradually become an integral part of the daily lives of young people, serving as a core tool for their information acquisition and consumption decisions. By accurately analyzing user data and pushing personalized content, platforms have transformed the methods of information dissemination, consumption decision-making, and social interaction. While technological advancements enhance user experience, they also introduce potential issues of control and exploitation. According to Gramsci’s theory of hegemony, platforms, as carriers of dominant power, control users’ access to information through the “visible labor” implied by algorithmic recommendations. This mechanism has evolved into phenomena such as the “information cocoon” and “the big data killing – enabled price discrimination against existing customers”. These practices, targeting existing customers with higher prices based on their historical data, limit information fairness and make users passive recipients of algorithmic control. As major users of the information society, youth groups reflect the complexity of cognitive differences, dependence, and resistance to algorithmic control, which in turn highlights the broader evolution of group psychology and behavior in the digital age. The aim of this paper is to explore youth group behaviors under algorithmic control from the perspective of hegemony theory, analyzing the underlying social and psychological factors shaping their cognitive differences, dependence, and avoidance strategies toward algorithmic recommendations.