Assess students' ability to analyze how social media algorithms shape information diffusion and contribute to societal polarization. Scope includes algorithmic ranking and recommendation (personalization, engagement optimization), network diffusion dynamics (virality, echo chambers, filter bubbles), measurement approaches (engagement metrics, network analysis, experiments), examples of misinformation and political content flows, and evaluation of mitigation strategies, ethical trade-offs, and policy responses; tasks may require interpreting data, critiquing methods, and proposing interventions.