Why Instagram (social media) isn't lying to you.
PS - that's because you're only lying to yourself.
*A Thread*
/1
PS - that's because you're only lying to yourself.
*A Thread*
/1
If you're wondering what's going on, a previous Curator opened a can of worms with this -
Come back here once you're done reading, because we're going to dive in DEEP
/2
https://twitter.com/twt_malaysia/status/1360429453164253187?s=19
Come back here once you're done reading, because we're going to dive in DEEP
/2
Everything that you see on social media is chosen by you... Up to a point. See, all social networks, including the one you're on right now are powered by an algorithm.
What does the algorithm do?
This was covered in depth in Netflix's The Social Dilemma. But here's the tl:dr
/3
What does the algorithm do?
This was covered in depth in Netflix's The Social Dilemma. But here's the tl:dr
/3
The accounts you follow, the ads you gaze at (not even click, btw - they'll notice if you linger even for a second), the choice of reactions you have towards pieces of content - this all feeds into to a black box of math and coding that builds a picture of you.
/4
/4
You then get served with more content that the algorithm thinks you like. However, it's not that simple - sometimes it'll throw a curveball at you just to see how you react. Sending two divergent pieces of content to gauge response is called A/B testing.
/5
/5
As more and more little experiments are thrown at you like this, the algorithm gets a clearer picture of who you are, at different times of the day. Browsing during lunch? Here's some news. Late night scrolling? How about some photos of your current actor / actress crush.
/6
/6
Your timeline evolves according to every single action that you do on social media. Everything. Even the number of milliseconds you hover over a tweet, or how often you share from a particular account.
/7
/7
This is why social media creates echo chambers - the algorithm sees what you like, and pushes stuff to you that you'll react to. That click, share, comment - that's currency in the world of social media and its called Engagement.
/8
/8
Based on your levels of engagement, your value to the network increases or decreases. The more engaged you are, the more time you spend on the platform = the more valuable your actions are. This is where it gets ethically questionable.
/9
/9
In order to gain more engagement from you, the platform wants you to stay on it. It'll continue to serve you content you'll react to, with absolutely no regard for the truth of that content. That's why extremist groups have so quickly found audiences & gotten organised online
/10
/10
And so, you get continually fed lies because that's what the algorithm thinks you like. However, that's not the end game - it's the fact that you won't get off social media that makes you a valuable asset. You're now ripe for advertising.
/11
/11
As you get deeper into the rabbit hole, you become a feedback loop. You believe something, you get served content reaffirms those beliefs , and you believe even more. Its confirmation bias at its worst.
/12
/12
When all is said and done, you've successfully curated a social network experience based on your prejudices, habits and passion points. And if it so happens that you like seeing stuff that gets you mad, jealous or upset... Well, have I got news for you...
/13
/13
If you're so inclined, my Hong Kong colleague and I spoke about this at length on our company podcast as we reviewed the Social Dilemma, right here -
*End Thread*
*End Thread*
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
