Orlando, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Ever wonder why your social media feed seems to “read your mind?” One minute, you’re watching a video about travel, and suddenly, your feed is filled with flight deals and hotel recommendations. It’s not magic, it’s the algorithm at work.
From what you scroll, click, and buy, is your phone, tablet and computer tracking your every move?
Social media algorithms are constantly at work, shaping what you see and what you miss. But how exactly do they decide? It turns out, every click, like, and comment teaches the algorithm more about you.
“The more things that you interact with, the more of that content is going to show up in your feed,” said Courtney Lewis, Professor of Communications, Valencia College.
It’s not just your feed that’s influenced — the algorithm also helps determine which ads you see.
“Ads are a little bit different. They work on a bid system and so the bigger budget, is going to put your ad in the forefront. It’s going to show you ads for things you already have committed to liking and the more you interact with the advertisement the more you’re going to see of it,” explained Lewis.
And the algorithm also creates “echo chambers,” filtering content to match your beliefs while hiding opposing views.
“More of that creates the silos, and so when we like things and when we dislike things the algorithm shows us more and more of the same,” said Lewis.
But you can break free from the algorithm’s grip. First, change your feed setting to be chronological or manually remove content. Limit your time spend on social media to reduce content overload. If a topic keeps dominating your feed, remove it from your interests. If you want more balanced contact, interact more with different perspectives.
While social media algorithms work to keep you engaged, experts say awareness is key. By making simple changes, you can make sure your feed works for you, not the other way around.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor.
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