A Skeptical Take on the Twitter Job Market Study

A recent study, "Social Media and Job Market Success: A Field Experiment on Twitter," has stirred up some debate. The Hastings Center, a bioethics research think tank, points out some ethical concerns with the study in this post. Researchers wanted to see if quote-tweets from influential economists could help job candidates in economics get more interviews and offers.

To do this, the researchers created a Twitter account and solicited submissions of Job Market Papers from economists looking for academic jobs. The researchers then tweeted the Job Market Papers to their followers. Here’s where the ethical concerns start. A randomized subset of the submissions was selected to be quote-tweeted by influential academic economists on Twitter, with underrepresented groups having a 2/3 chance of being quote-tweeted.

What’s so ethically dubious about that? Well, the research subjects were unaware of the plan to have randomly selected job market papers quote-tweeted by influencers.

Informed Consent and Social Media

According to The Hastings Center, lack of informed consent and use of deception aren’t necessarily troubling. However, US regulations say informed consent can be waived if the research poses minimal risk to the subjects. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, minimal risk means “the probability and magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated in the research are not greater in and of themselves than those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the performance of routine physical or psychological examinations or tests.”

The Impact of Quote-Tweets

The study found that quote-tweets led to more views, likes, interviews, and even job offers. But did this create more than minimal harm? The job market is highly competitive, and receiving a quote-tweet from a prominent economist could significantly boost a candidate’s visibility and chances. Conversely, not being quote-tweeted might leave other qualified candidates at a disadvantage. This imbalance could cause actual harm, affecting career opportunities, job offers, and long-term career paths.

Balancing Benefits and Ethics

Sure, learning how social media impacts job success is valuable, but at what cost? The knowledge gained from this study doesn’t seem to justify the potential harm to participants. Social media platforms are already rife with manipulation, and adding another layer, especially one that affects real-world job prospects, is risky. The ethical cost of such research, particularly the lack of informed consent and the potential harm from randomization must be carefully considered.

In short, while the study’s findings are intriguing, the ethical issues—particularly those surrounding social media manipulation, informed consent, and potential harm—can not be ignored.