Guatemala: Algorithmic literacy for teachers and communicators

"I have dark hair and I'm not even 1.70 cm tall but when I check the Internet for hairstyle models, I can only find women who are blonde and really tall!" says María Gabriel Ruano. The young Guatemalan has been questioning the impact that algorithms are having on her life. "There was a time when I thought I should just dye my hair to match what I was seeing online," she recalls. 

"If you Google the words 'successful woman' that's exactly what comes up: a tall, blonde woman in an office," confirms her colleague, Edín Ronaldo Mejía. But most Guatemalan women aren't like that, she says, and there are even fewer in rural areas. "It's a false reality," the young community reporter says. 

That's why Ruano and Mejía decided to host a podcast episode on algorithms and stereotypes. The podcast is a component of the campaign Algoritmo A Mi Ritmo (Algorithm Matches my Rhythm), which is part of the initiative Aulas para la Vida (Classrooms for Life) that was jointly developed by Asociación COMUNICARES and DW Akademie. The aim is to inform people about algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) and to raise awareness of how they are used. 

Young broadcasters discuss the dangers of algorithms together with mentors from COMUNICARES

The new challenge: algorithmic literacy  

COMUNICARES promotes various Media and Information Literacy (MIL) initiatives in Guatemala and are aimed primarily at the most vulnerable groups, such as young people and indigenous communities.    

Aulas para la Vida is one of those initiatives and since 2022 has trained approximately 4,500 teachers from 600 rural schools in MIL topics. The initiative has also been officially recognized by the Ministry of Education. The Tinamit video game, for example, is part of its program that aims to reduce society's digital divide and promote school students' critical analysis. 

Still, digital challenges are increasing, and in response, COMUNICARES launched the Algoritmo A Mi Ritmo campaign. The goal is to introduce algorithmic literacy to school teachers and local communicators so that they in turn can convey the information to young people. 

"There is a growing need for community leaders like these to know how algorithms and artificial intelligence work," says Oneida Rodas, the director of COMUNICARES. "Algorithms and AI influence the daily decisions we make as individuals and communities." 

Gladis Godínez de Soliz, a member of the San Marcos education department, shared insights with members of Aula para la Vida

Moving safely in the digital world 

A survey conducted by COMUNICARES assessed people's understanding of AI and algorithms as well as their impact. It found that less than 20% of those surveyed could correctly explain what an algorithm is and more than 95% had misconceptions about AI. 

As a result, COMUNICARES worked with 10 community communicators to establish ways to improve information about AI and algorithms. One idea is to produce information in Mayan languages, of which there are more than 20 in Guatemala. They've already realized another idea and have generated entertaining content that appeals to young audiences. 

The COMUNICARES team joined forces with community communicators to promote MIL in Guatemala

That's what inspired María Gabriel Ruano and Edín Ronaldo Mejía to record their podcast episode about stereotypes.  

The Algoritmo A Mi Ritmo campaign distributes audiovisual content about algorithmic literacy and includes 15 audios and videos disseminated via social networks and community media. The content explains key concepts such as what an algorithm is and how Internet search engines work. 

The campaign also highlights existing algorithm biases and looks at why gender diversity groups, people with disabilities and particularly indigenous communities – who make up 45% of the Guatemalan population – have become almost invisible. Still, Rodas points out, this issue isn't limited to the digital world but stems from a latent historical discrimination in society. That's why Algoritmo A Mi Ritmo is so important, she stresses. 

"The campaign exposes how platforms prioritize space for the largest groups and leave out the vulnerable ones," she says. "And while it's true that people can't change this on their own," she stresses, "we can all question the results of algorithms and not believe everything as it appears on the Internet." 

The Algoritmo A Mi Ritmo is an Asociación COMUNICARES project developed in collaboration with DW Akademie and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).