Raised by the Algorithm

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“We don’t have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it.” — Erik Qualman

That quote scares me because we do social media a little too well.

Of course, by “we” I’m not referring to you and me. We are horrible at it. I’m talking about the builders of apps like Facebook, TikTok, and Reddit. The designers who know what we like and have figured out how to trickle it into our brains so that we keep coming back for more.

At the root of their strategy is this well-known thing called the algorithm. Every social media app has one, and though each serve the same purpose (to keep you hooked), they are vastly different.

THE algorithm, like it’s some all-powerful entity that must be feared and respected, constantly adjusts your social media feed based on what you like. You and I know this but…we don’t really care. We’re actually cool with it.

Sure, we waste time doom-scrolling, but we also get some happiness, entertainment, and a sense of community. Not the worst trade-off when done in moderation.

But here’s where the ethical debate of social media starts to emerge — content is influential. Highly influential. Every piece of media you consume impacts your thoughts. In the short term, the effect is subtle, but increase the time horizon and it’s much more obvious.

My simple, monkey brain is a prime example.

In my early twenties, I was a hellion with not much regard for my health. Like most millennial college kids, I drank often, slept little, and chugged energy drinks to power through. After wearing myself into the ground, I was lucky enough to find interest in the self-help niche.

Every book, article, and Tweet I read changed my thoughts and behaviors. I went from drinking alcohol and eating fast food to exercising and cooking my own meals. My sense of self changed entirely. I morphed into someone who cared about health and fitness, driven by words on a screen.

Yeah, you could make the argument that I launched myself on that trajectory to change for the better, not the algorithm. Which is true, but honestly after the first few days of internet searching, my feeds were flooded with my new interests. I set the course, but the algorithm ultimately chose the path.

That’s where the algorithm presents a problem. The content it pushes to you alters your opinions, behaviors, and fundamental understanding of the world. This wouldn’t be so bad if we were all masters of self-awareness and could course-correct as needed. But we’re not. Sometimes, we wander through the social media forest, letting our curiosities — and the algorithm — whisk us away.

It’s not so hard to see how an anti-vaxxer or deep conspiracy theorist comes to be. It starts with one innocent story, a headline that piques interest and proves entertaining. Maybe it’s believable, maybe not. Either way, the algorithm extends a welcoming hand and further down the rabbit hole we go.

Before long, conspiracies are everywhere. Opposing opinions fade. We start leaning too far in one direction, but the algorithm doesn’t care. It doesn’t take independent thinking into account and say, “Oh crap, we’re headed toward Crazytown, let me start showing some sensical counter-arguments.”

Nope. It pushes us down the hill and off the cliff.

That is how the algorithm works, and it works damn well on adults like you and me. Even though we understand the game being played around us, it doesn’t matter. We’re only human.

Now imagine what this does to kids, especially younger ones who have recently stepped into the digital arena. Kids are innocent. They don’t care about the mess underneath the hood. They see headlines, videos, and photos that grab their attention and immerse themselves.

Here’s a fun story for you.

The other day, I walk into my home office and find one of my older boys intently watching YouTube.

He is slouched in his chair, headset on, half-empty bottle of sparkling water on the desk. He looks over at me, flashes a playful grin, and gives me a thumbs up. Then he turns his attention back to whatever he is watching.

I leave and a wild thought comes to mind — this might be the first generation of kids raised by the algorithm.

It’s a staggering realization, but I keep it to myself. The thought works its way through my mind as I jot it down into my Notes app.

I return to the sofa next to my wife, plop down and start browsing Reddit. A news story catches my eye, and I lean over to show her. I say something about it being ridiculous. She rolls her eyes.

My wife, bless her heart, has endured my increasingly more common rants about politics and things going on in the world. I’ve spent most of my life avoiding them, but they seem to have nabbed my attention lately. Maybe I’m getting older and realizing the impact. Maybe it’s the Trump factor. Or maybe it’s just everywhere and so damn hard to avoid.

In any case, my wife has been reminding me lately that social media pushes more and more of the same crap.

She reminds me yet again.

“Dammit,” I say, “You’re right. I legit just had a thought about kids and being raised by the algorithm, and here I am getting caught in the same trap.”

I would like to remind you that I’m a grown-ass man. An above-average self-aware individual, and still, I am affected by the algorithm.

Of course knowing this, I can back off. I can knowingly take that step back to think about other perspectives and how dangerous the “we’re right, they’re wrong” mindset can be.

But kids?

Hell no. They’re innocent. Unaware. Impressionable. Every kid you know is still trying to figure out who they are, and now? We have the algorithm to “help” them!

It’s a scary thought. I like to hope that at some point we will figure it all out.

But honestly?

We might not.

Best,

Jason