Social media bots are automated software programs or accounts that perform tasks on social media platforms, often mimicking human behavior. They can operate partially or fully autonomously to engage with content and users by liking, following, commenting, posting, or sharing
. There are two main types of social media bots:
- Benign (Good) Bots: These serve useful purposes such as automating customer service, scheduling posts, providing updates (like weather or sports scores), and recommending content. They are usually clearly identified as bots and help streamline social media management for businesses and users
- Malicious (Bad) Bots: These are designed to deceive and manipulate. They can spread misinformation, artificially inflate engagement metrics (likes, followers, shares), spam users, hijack accounts, and sway public opinion. Many malicious bots disguise themselves as real users, making them difficult to detect even for experts
Social media bots range from simple scripts performing repetitive tasks to sophisticated programs that can adapt their behavior and mimic human interaction patterns. While some bots do not engage in conversation, others (chatbots) can hold automated conversations, though social media bots typically require less human management than chatbots
. Overall, social media bots are a significant and controversial part of online platforms, with both helpful applications and harmful impacts on digital communication and public discourse
