Social media platform algorithms may play a variety of roles in exacerbating social divisions, mainly through the following mechanisms: 1. **Echo chamber effect**: Algorithms often recommend content similar to existing views based on users' preferences and past behavior. This may cause users to only be exposed to information that is consistent with their own views, reinforcing existing beliefs and forming an "echo chamber". Such an environment is likely to reduce users' opportunities to be exposed to different views and lead to more extreme positions. 2. **Polarized content priority**: Algorithms often prioritize content that can evoke strong emotional reactions, which are usually extreme, inflammatory or controversial posts and articles. This bias may encourage divisive speech and behavior because such content is more likely to attract attention and interaction. 3. **Grouping algorithms**: Social media platforms automatically group users according to their interests, which can strengthen connections with similar groups, but at the same time may also isolate people with different views and make cross-group communication difficult. 4. **Spread of misleading information**: Algorithms may not be able to effectively distinguish between true information and misleading information, resulting in the rapid spread of false information. Misleading information, especially on political or social issues, is likely to exacerbate misunderstandings and distrust among the public. 5. **Maximizing engagement**: Since the business model of social media platforms is usually based on advertising revenue, the design of algorithms is often aimed at maximizing user engagement, without necessarily focusing on the accuracy of information or social impact. In this case, emotional and divisive content may receive more recommendations. These mechanisms work together and may lead to further divisions in society and increase confrontation and conflict between different groups. Therefore, in order to deal with these problems, social media platforms and their users need to adopt more responsible attitudes and measures.