i The Role of Machine Learning Algorithms in Shaping Teenage Social Identity through Curated Digital Experiences. R. Sajipratha Reg No : MS24020008 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO SRI LANKA INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION MANAGEMENT December 2025 1 I certify that I have read this thesis and that in my opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Ms. Anjali Gamage Approved for MSc. Research Project: MSc in IM Programme Co-ordinator, SLIIT Approved for MSc: Head of Graduate Studies, FoC, SLIIT 2 31/12/2025 DECLARATION This is to certify that the work is entirely my own and not of any other person, unless explicitly acknowledged (including citation of published and unpublished sources). The work has not previously been submitted in any form to the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology or to any other institution for assessment for any other purpose. Signature: ………………………….......... R. Sajipratha Date: …………………………………….. 3 ABSTRACT The Role of Machine Learning Algorithms in Shaping Teenage Social Identity through Curated Digital Experiences Sajipratha Rajakumar MSc. in Information Management Supervisor: Ms. Anjali Gamage December 2025 Social media has taken its place as one of the most powerful instruments of the modern digital environment that affects the perception of young individuals towards each other and themselves. Identity formation is a significant developmental condition among teenagers, and due to the individualized algorithms that shape what they view, like, and interact with online, it is becoming more affected by the latter. The paper examines the influence of Machine Learning-based recommendation systems on the social identity of teenagers in the framework of algorithmic curation, and the connection between algorithmic exposure, diversity of content, and identity pressure. The study enables a more profound insight into how Artificial Intelligence impacts social comparison, body image, and self-perception of adolescents by studying the psychological implications of the use of algorithms in personalization. The research design was a quantitative one to analyze the data gathered based on 150 students between age 18 to 19 of an international school in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The research employed an indexed questionnaire, which measured the following: Algorithmic Exposure Index (AEI), Stereotypical Content Reinforcement (SCR), Number of Topics (NTOP), and Body/Identity Pressure (BIP). The data were analyzed using descriptive, correlation and 4 multinomial logistic regression techniques to identify the interaction of these variables and predictive of the emotional and identity related outcomes. Findings showed that more than 60 percent of the subjects especially females indicated that they experienced a lot of social comparison and body pressure following the exposure to the algorithms. Tik Tok and Instagram users reported much more odds of being subjected to appearance and behavioral pressure than YouTube users, thereby affirming that appearance-focused and engagement- oriented platforms enhance conformity and self-assessment. Moreover, negative self- perception at the time of exposure to stereotypical material (high SCR) was strongly related to exposure, and increased diversity of the topic (high NTOP) was a protective factor, decreasing the identity stress and resulting in a more balanced sense of self. The results promote both Social Identity Theory and Algorithmic Bias Theory, showing the Machine Learning systems not only suggest content, but also act as the contributors to the formation of the identity of users by supporting specific social norms and values. Young people who are in algorithmic echo chambers are less exposed to different or anti- stereotypical stories, which results in more limited ideas of attractiveness, popularity, and success. This paper thus lays emphasis on the importance of algorithmic responsibility, ethical design and media literacy interventions. The research will offer a solution to these issues by proposing the Responsible Curation Framework, which is a complex intervention encompassing algorithmic diversity prompts, user-controlled content filters and digital literacy education. Collectively, these measures will help to regain the balance of exposure, self-awareness and encourage psychological well-being in young users. On the whole, this analysis can be discussed as part of the expanding discourse of ethical AI and digital well-being and can serve as a way of starting to change how algorithmic recommendation systems are managed so as to become instruments of conformity instead of instruments of diversity, empowerment, and positive identity formation. 5 AKNOWLEDGMENT I should like to state my sincere thanks to my supervisor, Ms. Anjali Gamage because of her constant guidance, helpful feedback, and support through the process of this research. Her wise counselling, patience, and consistent encouragement have proved very valuable in defining the quality and the direction of this study. I also owe a lot of debt to the faculty and staff of SLIIT Malabe in availing the academic support, technical support, and conducive learning environment that enabled me to conduct the research. Particularly, I would like to express my gratitude to each of the students who took part in my survey the desire to exchange their experiences and views served as the background of this project and provided it with the meaning. I am pleased to acknowledge the fact that my close friend Thilakshi Madhushika has been the greatest moral support I had in accomplishing this project. Her support regularly in form of encouragement, understanding, and positivity helped to keep me motivated at each of the phases of this process. Her assistance both scholarly and emotional allowed her to not only cope with this process but also make it very meaningful. Lastly, I would like to make a thankless statement to my family and friends who have always loved me, been very patient and encouraging. They have believed in me and this has been my strength and I have been motivated to go on with the struggles and achieve this research effectively. 6 Table of Contents DECLARATION .......................................................................................................................... 2 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................. 3 AKNOWLEDGMENT ................................................................................................................. 5 Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... 6 List of Figures............................................................................................................................... 9 List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. 12 List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................. 13 CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 14 1.1 Chapter Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 14 1.2 Background of the Study .................................................................................................................. 14 1.3 Problem Statement ............................................................................................................................ 16 1.4 Research Question ............................................................................................................................ 16 1.5 Aim and Objectives ........................................................................................................................... 17 1.5.1 Aim: ........................................................................................................................................... 17 1.5.2 Objectives: ................................................................................................................................. 17 1.6 Methodology ..................................................................................................................................... 17 1.7 Scope of the Study ............................................................................................................................ 18 1.8 Limitation .......................................................................................................................................... 18 1.9 Chapter Outline ................................................................................................................................. 18 1.10 Chapter Summary ........................................................................................................................... 19 CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................. 20 2.1 Chapter Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 20 2.2 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 20 2.3 Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................................... 21 2.2.1 Social Identity Theory ................................................................................................................ 21 2.2.2 Algorithmic Bias Theory ........................................................................................................... 22 2.4 Machine Learning Algorithms in Content Curation ......................................................................... 22 2.5 Filter Bubbles .................................................................................................................................... 22 2.6 Echo Chambers ................................................................................................................................. 23 2.7 Research Gap .................................................................................................................................... 23 2.8 Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................................... 24 2.8.1 Independent Variables................................................................................................................ 24 2.8.2 Dependent Variable.................................................................................................................... 26 2.9 Chapter Summary ............................................................................................................................. 27 7 CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................ 28 3.1 Chapter Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 28 3.2 Research Approach ........................................................................................................................... 28 3.3 Study Design ..................................................................................................................................... 28 3.4 Study Setting ..................................................................................................................................... 29 3.5 Population and Study Sample ........................................................................................................... 29 3.6 Sampling Method .............................................................................................................................. 30 3.7 Method of Recruiting ........................................................................................................................ 30 3.8 Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria ....................................................................................................... 30 3.8.1. Inclusion Criteria: ..................................................................................................................... 30 3.8.2. Exclusion Criteria: .............................................................................................................. 30 3.9 Sample Size Justification .................................................................................................................. 30 3.10 Data Collection Method .................................................................................................................. 31 3.10.1 Questionnaire Structure................................................................................................................ 31 3.11 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................................. 32 3.12 Ethical Considerations .................................................................................................................... 34 3.14 Chapter Summary ........................................................................................................................... 34 CHAPTER 4 - SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY AND ITS CONTRIBUTIONS ................. 35 4.1 Chapter Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 35 4.2 Significance of the Study: ................................................................................................................. 35 4.3 Contributions of the Study: ............................................................................................................... 36 4.3.1 Theoretical Contribution: ........................................................................................................... 36 4.3.1 Practical Contribution: ........................................................................................................ 36 4.4 Chapter Summary ............................................................................................................................. 37 CHAPTER 5 – STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND DATA VISUALIZATION ....................... 38 5.1 Chapter introduction ......................................................................................................................... 38 5.2 Data Preparation ................................................................................................................................ 38 5.3 Descriptive Analysis and Visualization ............................................................................................ 39 5.4 Preliminary Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 39 5.4.1 Descriptive Analysis .................................................................................................................. 40 5.5 . Advanced Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 61 5.5.1 Univariate Analysis ............................................................................................................. 61 5.6 Reporting and Presentation ............................................................................................................... 80 5.7 Chapter Summary ............................................................................................................................. 81 8 CHAPTER 6 – DISCUSSION ................................................................................................... 82 6.1 Chapter Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 82 6.2 Summary of Key Findings ................................................................................................................ 83 6.3 Interpretation of Results .................................................................................................................... 85 6.4 Practical Implications ........................................................................................................................ 86 6.5 Limitations of the Study .................................................................................................................... 86 6.6. Recommendations for Future Research ........................................................................................... 86 6.7 Chapter Summary ............................................................................................................................. 89 CHAPTER 7 - CONCLUSION .................................................................................................. 92 References .................................................................................................................................. 97 9 List of Figures Figure 1 : Conceptual model without moderators.......................................................................... 26 Figure 2: Descriptive analysis on response variables. ................................................................... 40 Figure 3: Descriptive analysis on age ............................................................................................ 41 Figure 4: Descriptive analysis on gender ....................................................................................... 41 Figure 5 : Descriptive analysis on Average daily social media usage in hours ............................. 42 Figure 6: Descriptive analysis on Most frequently used social media platform ............................ 42 Figure 7:Descriptive analysis on Time Spent on Recommended or “For You” Pages in the Past 24 Hours .............................................................................................................................................. 43 Figure 8 : Descriptive analysis on the Number of Social Media Platforms Used Daily ............... 43 Figure 9 : Descriptive analysis on Responses to the Statement: “Girls Should Focus on Beauty or Fashion ........................................................................................................................................... 44 Figure 10 : Descriptive analysis on Responses to the Statement: “Boys should focus on sports or gaming............................................................................................................................................ 44 Figure 11 : Descriptive analysis on Responses to the Statement: “Only certain body types are attractive” ....................................................................................................................................... 45 Figure 12 : Descriptive analysis on Responses to the Statement: “You must wear certain brands or products to be accepted. ” .............................................................................................................. 45 Figure 13 : Descriptive analysis on Responses to the Statement: “Certain jobs or careers are “only for men” or “only for women”. ...................................................................................................... 46 Figure 14:Descriptive analysis on Responses to the Statement: “People need to act or talk a specific way to be popular ........................................................................................................................... 46 Figure 15 : Descriptive analysis on Responses to the Statement: “Certain hobbies or interests are only “cool” for boys or girls”......................................................................................................... 47 10 Figure 16 : Descriptive analysis on Responses to the Statement: “People must post frequently to stay relevant or popular” ................................................................................................................ 47 Figure 17 : Descriptive analysis on Responses Showing the Most Engaged Content Type.......... 48 Figure 18 ; Descriptive analysis on Responses on Unfollowing or Blocking Accounts Due to Negative Self-Perception ............................................................................................................... 48 Figure 19 : Descriptive analysis on Responses on Discussing Social Media’s Impact on Mood or Identity. .......................................................................................................................................... 49 Figure 20 : Descriptive analysis on Responses on Taking a Social Media Detox ......................... 49 Figure 21 : Descriptive Analysis on the Comparison of Emotional Responses to Social Media by Age Group ...................................................................................................................................... 50 Figure 22:Descriptive Analysis on Gender-Based Differences in Emotional Responses to Social Media ............................................................................................................................................. 50 Figure 23: Descriptive Analysis on Average Daily Social Media Use by Reported Emotional Impact ............................................................................................................................................ 51 Figure 24: Descriptive Analysis on Platform Differences in Emotional Responses to Social Media ........................................................................................................................................................ 52 Figure 25:Descriptive Analysis on Average Percentage of Social Media Time Spent on Recommended Pages .................................................................................................................... 52 Figure 26:Descriptive Analysis on Emotional Responses by Number of Social Media Platforms Used Daily. .................................................................................................................................... 53 Figure 27:Descriptive Analysis on Distribution of Emotional Responses to Social Media Experiences .................................................................................................................................... 54 Figure 28:Descriptive Analysis on Distribution of Perceptions on Whether Boys Should Focus on Sports or Gaming ........................................................................................................................... 54 Figure 29:Descriptive Analysis on Distribution of Perceptions on the Belief That Only Certain Body Types Are Attractive ............................................................................................................ 55 11 Figure 30:Descriptive Analysis on Distribution of Perceptions on the Need to Wear Certain Brands for Acceptance ............................................................................................................................... 56 Figure 31:Descriptive Analysis on Distribution of Perceptions of Gender-Specific Careers ....... 56 Figure 32:Descriptive Analysis on Distribution of Perceptions of Acting or Talking a Certain Way to Be Popular.................................................................................................................................. 57 Figure 33:Descriptive Analysis on Distribution of Views on Gendered Hobbies and Interests ... 57 Figure 34:Descriptive Analysis on Perceptions of Posting Frequency and Social Relevance ...... 58 Figure 35:Descriptive Analysis on Distribution of Most Engaged Content Types and Related Social Media Pressures. ............................................................................................................................ 58 Figure 36:Descriptive Analysis on Distribution of Responses on Unfollowing or Blocking Accounts Due to Negative Feelings ............................................................................................... 59 Figure 37:Descriptive Analysis on Distribution of Discussion of Social Media’s Impact on Mood and Identity .................................................................................................................................... 59 Figure 38:Descriptive Analysis on Distribution of Responses on Taking Social Media Breaks (Detox) ........................................................................................................................................... 60 12 List of Tables Table 1: Chi square test to identify significant variables ............................................................... 62 Table 2 : Description on models with new response categories in multinomial logistic ............... 65 Table 3: Logistic Regression Results Predicting Social Media Pressure Outcomes ..................... 66 Table 4: Goodness of fit test for multinomial logistic regression model ....................................... 68 Table 5: Goodness of fit test for multinomial logistic regression model ....................................... 68 Table 6:Description on models with new response categories in multinomial logistic ................. 69 Table 7:Multinomial Logistic Regression Results SOR Vs Response ......................................... 69 Table 8 : AIC comparison showing better fit for the additive SOR model ................................... 72 Table 9:Goodness of fit test for multinomial logistic regression model ........................................ 72 Table 10:Description on models with new response categories in multinomial logistic ............... 74 Table 11:Multinomial Logistic Regression Results NTOP Vs Response ................................... 74 Table 12:Goodness of fit test for multinomial logistic regression model ...................................... 77 Table 13:AIC comparison showing better fit for the additive NTOP model ................................ 78 13 List of Abbreviations Abbreviation Full Form AEI Algorithmic Exposure Index BIP Body/Identity Pressure NTOP Number of Topics RCF Responsible Curation Framework SCR Stereotypical Content Exposure