Effects of the spiral of silence on minority groups in recommender systems

Abstract

Recommender systems play a critical role in today’s data-rich landscape, where the abundance of information necessitates their ability to present the most relevant choices for individual users. However, it has been noted that recommender systems often fail to offer the most suitable options for minority groups. Therefore, this paper examines one of the potential reasons behind the underrepresentation of minority opinions within recommender systems through a literature review. Specifically, we explore the connection and importance between the spiral of silence concept and the dearth of suitable recommendations for minorities.