By Benjamin Yampolskiy
We’ve all been in the position of opening up an app to check one thing, only to find an hour has completely passed. This is due to the existence of social media algorithms that were created with the intention of keeping people on the app for as long as possible. Social media platforms track everything that people watch and interact with and show them more of the same content.
This algorithm traps people into seeing content that makes them scroll past the next piece of content, even if it takes up a waste of time. Every person who uses social media is shown content that has been personalized for them, and it is impossible to look away from. For example, if a person watches one video about a specific video game, they will, from that point forward, be shown videos about that exact same video game.
While this might seem harmless for the entertainment value of the content that people consume, the same algorithm can be applied to more extreme content on social media. If a person likes a post that contains a controversial topic, the algorithm will show them more content like that. As a result, people can begin to have more negative views of the world and harmful content like racism, sexism, and other forms of toxic views.
Social media platforms have a vested interest in showing people content like this because it will result in more engagement with their platforms, leading to more advertisements and more money for the social media companies. In one study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 64% of Americans say that social media has had a mostly negative effect on the way things are going in the country. The majority of these reasons include the influence of the algorithms to show people extreme content.
Steps you can take:
- Reset your feed. A lot of apps let you clear your cache or go into your settings to tell the app you are “not interested” in certain posts. Doing this can help fix your algorithm and stop the negative loop.
- Set strict app timers. Use the screen time limits built into your phone settings to physically stop yourself from scrolling too long. When the timer goes off, force yourself to close the app.
- Follow diverse accounts. Try to follow pages that talk about a bunch of different topics so your feed doesn’t become just one thing. Mixing it up helps keep your algorithm balanced.
- Take regular breaks. Delete the apps from your phone for the weekend just to give your brain a rest from the constant scrolling and content feeding.
Conversation starters:
- How often do you find yourself checking a social media app?
- Once on an app, how much time do you think you spend scrolling without realizing it?
- Do you notice your feed changing when you like or share a specific post?
- How does being stuck in a scrolling loop make you feel?
- What do you see on your feed that you think is unhealthy?
- Have you ever tried to change what your algorithm shows you?
