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Photo by Serge Taeymans on Unsplash
IT'S THE ALGORITHMS!
Many of us have heard this before, right? “It’s the algorithms that keeps us coming back to social media.” But what does that MEAN exactly?
Great Question.
An algorithm is like a roadmap for computers. It tells the computer what to do, how to do it, and when.
This website has algorithms. “When a member buys a course, send an email thanking them for their purchase.” Or, “When a member logs on for the first time, send me an email letting me know they’ve joined.” Etc. Etc.
This isn’t anything crazy– this is just how computers think. They think entirely in if…then steps.
So what does this have to do with Facebook?
Facebook Makes Money Through Your Engagement
Facebook WANTS you to keep coming back to the site. Not only that, they WANT you to interact. Why? Because they make money when you do. Every time you click on a sponsored ad, they make money. So Facebook is going to set the algorithms to encourage your participation.
For Example:
- If a user clicks on something, give them more content that is similar
- If a user reacts to something (liking, sad face, etc), give them more content that is similar
- If a user clicks on an ad, continue to give them that ad and give them ads that are similar
But, There's More...
A recent article from the BBC suggests that social media platforms Meta (Facebook) and TikTok actually allowed harmful content to rise on their platforms after evidence showed that outrage drove engagement.
So that antisemitic content you are seeing? Or the highly politically charged posts that you are seeing? They remain on the platform because your outrage keeps you coming back for more.
Do you use Facebook or some other social media platform? Have you had this experience before? What are your thoughts on the article? Let us know below!