Journal
Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research
MJAAR
The Algorithmic Atom: How Artificial Intelligence Promotes Individualism and Reconfigures the Social Fabric
Dr. Arinaitwe Julius, Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara
| Journal | Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research (MJAAR) |
| Volume / Issue | Vol. 5, No. 3 |
| Published | 31 March 2026 |
| ISSN | 3006-6417 |
Abstract
Background: Artificial intelligence-driven platforms increasingly mediate social interaction through hyperpersonalized content delivery, raising concerns about their effects on individualism and social cohesion. Despite growing recognition of AI's social impacts, systematic understanding of mechanisms through which algorithmic personalization promotes individualistic orientations and reconfigures traditional social structures remains limited. Objective: This study examined how AI technologies promote individualism and transform social fabric by investigating: (1) mechanisms through which AI personalization algorithms foster individualistic behaviors and worldviews; (2) effects of AI-mediated individualism on community participation, civic engagement, and social solidarity; and (3) differential impacts across demographic groups and cultural contexts. Methods: A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted between March 2024 and January 2025 across five countries (USA, UK, Japan, South Korea, Uganda) representing varying individualism-collectivism orientations. Using stratified random sampling, 2,847 participants aged 18-65 years who regularly used AI-driven platforms completed structured questionnaires measuring AI usage intensity, platform diversity, personalization awareness, individualistic orientation (0-100 scale), social cohesion index, and demographic characteristics. Data analysis employed univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis (chi-square tests, t-tests, ANOVA, correlation analysis), and multivariate modeling including binary logistic regression predicting high individualism and multinomial logistic regression predicting social cohesion levels, with interaction terms examining cultural context moderation effects. Results: Univariate analysis revealed significant cross-national variations in AI usage (M=24.3 hrs/week overall; range: 18.9-28.7), individualism scores (M=62.4; range: 52.1-71.8), and social cohesion (M=54.7; range: 48.2-64.3), with Western countries demonstrating higher AI usage and individualism but lower social cohesion (all p
Keywords
Artificial intelligence
algorithmic personalization
individualism
social cohesion and echo chambers
Cite This Article
Dr. Arinaitwe Julius & Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara (2026). The Algorithmic Atom: How Artificial Intelligence Promotes Individualism and Reconfigures the Social Fabric. Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research, 5(3). https://journals.miu.ac.ug/pages/article.php?article_id=253
More in This Issue
View full issue →
11
Beyond the Clock: An Analysis of Extended Work Hours, Employee Compensation, and Perceived Productivity in Ugandan Organizations
Extended work hours
overtime compensation
employee productivity
job satisfaction
12
Black is Not a Color: A Philosophical, Scientific, and Decolonial Inquiry into Essence, Origin, and the Epistemology of Blackness
Blackness
epistemology
decoloniality
color science
13
Critical Pedagogy and Neocolonial Curricula: A Postcolonial Interrogation of Foreign-Engineered Education Reforms in Africa
critical pedagogy
neocolonialism
epistemic violence
curriculum sovereignty
14
15
Epistemology Rooted in Nature: Interrogating Sources of Knowledge Through a Da Vincian Lens
Knowledge and Da Vincian Lens