Social media algorithms are designed to feed you more of the content you interact with. Unless you take an active role in shaping your newsfeed, you will only get a narrow slice of the content and information that you need to make informed decisions. Consuming a variety of viewpoints — both ones you agree with and ones you disagree with — is important because it makes you more resilient to bad actors who might try to manipulate you online.
Imagine this: You love whales; they are your favorite animal. You like, comment and share lots of posts about whales. As a result you start to notice that your social media feeds contain almost nothing but whales. While you adore whales, you want to make sure you learn about all kinds of animals. To achieve this, you’ll need to make room for different types of content, even if it means reducing your whale-related posts. In the interactive image below, drag and drop some whales from the phone on the left to the phone on the right but also add different animals to replace the whales. Keep going until you feel the balance represents the variety of content you need.
Understanding the right balance for you means being an active consumer of social media. Take time to purposefully seek out information that challenges you and that you disagree with. Take charge of your newsfeed by using the tools in each platform. Mark stories as “not interested” and sift out stories that use specific words. Remember, each time you interact with a piece of content you inform your algorithm. By exercising click, comment and like restraint you can influence the information you are fed.
