You’ve probably heard the word algorithm a hundred times, usually, in a sentence like “The algorithm is broken” or “I hacked the algorithm.”
But what does it actually mean? What are those secret algorithms that seem to control everything, and people are complaining about them all the time?
Let’s break it down.
So, What Is An Algorithm?
At its core, an algorithm is just a set of rules a social media platform uses for how its content operates. That’s it. It’s a step-by-step instruction that tells a system what to do based on certain inputs.
Algorithms are not “smart” in a human way; they don’t understand the meaning or the amount of effort some content creators put into their content. Algorithms follow patterns; they are neither enemies nor friends.
But those patterns can become very powerful. When you open Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok, it might feel like you’re just scrolling through all the available content, but you’re not. Literally every post that is offered in the feed was pre-selected for you.
You don’t see all the random content; only the type of content you have been interacting with before, or paid content if you are the audience.
Algorithms look at things like:
- What you click;
- How long you watch;
- What you like or share;
- And what you skip.
Then they build a profile of content that keeps your attention, makes you engage, and spend more time on the app.
The goal of most platforms is not to show you the “best” content. It’s to show you the content you’re most likely to engage with because the app wants to know what kind of audience you are.
And when a content creator or a business pays for ads in the app, they choose potential audiences that would probably like their content.
It is that simple.
Why You Keep Seeing the Same Kind of Content?
Ever noticed this? You watch one video about a topic, and then suddenly, your entire feed is full of it. That’s not a coincidence but reinforcement; the algorithms noticed that you interacted with the topic, and started pushing more of it.
Over time, this creates a loop. You see more of the same, you interact with it, the algorithm gets more confident, and it shows you even more of this content or topic.
For example, if you once followed a link to the Spin Galaxy voucher code, high chance the social network will keep offering you more.
And before you know it, your feed suddenly feels narrow. You are literally unable to stumble upon anything new or explore outside of your “interests” harvested by the all-knowing algorithm.
Algorithms are necessary for social media because they allow content creators and users paying the network for ads to actually find audiences that will consume their content, engage, and buy from them.
Social media optimization tools also use algorithms; they can recommend the best times for posting content, or optimize the content schedule – all based on algorithms.
So, algorithms are not necessarily bad; they are just a tool. However, for the users, sooner or later, a problem occurs.
The Subtle Problem: Users Stop Choosing
Here’s where it gets interesting: at first, algorithms feel helpful, especially for new users who are not really sure yet what they want or like. Algorithms quickly pick up the preferred topics and save time. They show you things you enjoy. But over time, they start shaping your behavior.
You don’t explore as much and don’t search because the feed feels like it is giving you all you need. So you just scroll, and the system decides what comes next. This creates a kind of passive consumption.
In the end, instead of actively choosing content, you simply react to it. And because the algorithm is optimized for engagement, not balance, it tends to push:
- Strong opinions (not necessarily wise ones);
- Emotional or triggering content;
- Things that keep you watching;
And all this content can be very far away from accurate or useful.
Can You Control The Algorithm?
The key question for all types of social media users is “Can we control the algorithm?” Well, the honest answer is no; the algorithm is created, controlled, and changed by the platform that owns it. An algorithm is just a robot.
However, we can influence the algorithm by actively choosing what content to interact with. For this, we have to actively search for topics we are interested in; skip content we don’t want to see (or feel that this content is triggering or harmful for us); and try to engage with different content types, just to keep our feed more versatile and balanced.
