Quick summary: Experts say algorithms have turned us into passive consumers of news and information. And it’s not just on social media, it’s everywhere — from the shows we watch to the music we allow through our speakers. In the following essay, we offer tips for training your algorithm to show a more complete and balanced stream of news, featuring reporting from Documented, Kansas City Defender, Black Girl Times and Prism.
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How to break free from the echo chambers of social media algorithms
Hey fam,
Ever notice how your social media feeds seem to serve content from the same accounts repeatedly? For example, when I scroll through Instagram, it’s usually a mix of makeup tutorials, personal finance tips, neuroscience hacks, and news from URL Media partners — plus a random assortment of sponsored posts, from Dunkin' Donuts meal deals to free gym passes (what are you trying to say, Orange Theory? 👀). Nowadays, it’s rare to stumble upon something different unless I actively start liking, commenting or engaging with new accounts. This is essentially how algorithms work. As explained by Documented, algorithms are “sets of rules from a social media platform that decide what you see on your newsfeed and then choose the posts it thinks you’ll want to see most.”That’s a pretty passive user experience.
The tricky part of social media algorithms is they create a sort of confirmation bias, trapping us in echo chambers, experts say.And it’s not just happening on social media. Think about the streaming platforms we use regularly. Take Netflix, for example. The homepage is a buffet of movie titles, all curated based on predicted user ratings, genres and what’s currently trending among other users. The platform also gives us films and shows similar to what we watched last time. But where are the thousands of people also binge-watching “Love is Blind” from the US and its offshore versions? And why do I have to leave Netflix to find them? I want algorithms to give us more variety and ways to connect with each other. Plus: Why are we reporting on a genocide using emojis? (Prism)
This disconnect is something New Yorker writer Kyle Chayka, author of Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture, discussed earlier this year on NPR’s “Fresh Air.” He pointed out that by constantly being fed content (news or otherwise) tailored to us, we become disconnected from our peers and oblivious to what’s happening outside our feeds. He also touched on how he believes algorithms have impacted journalism."Algorithmic feeds, I think, took on the responsibility that a lot of news publications once had. ... In decades past, we would see the news stories that we consumed on a daily basis... Now, instead of the publication choosing which stories are most important, which things you should see right away, the Twitter, or X, algorithmic feed is sorting out what kinds of stories you're consuming and what narratives are being built up.”
I've been reflecting on his argument lately, particularly during this election cycle when social media plays such a big role in our communities' lives.
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