{"id":21594,"date":"2026-09-09T09:23:55","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T09:23:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=21594"},"modified":"2026-09-09T09:23:55","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T09:23:55","slug":"amusing-or-addictive-the-algorithms-powering-our-social-feeds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=21594","title":{"rendered":"Amusing or addictive? The algorithms powering our social feeds"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 300px 160px; gap: 2px; width: 460px; background: #eee; padding: 2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u6574\u884c\u5bbd\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876674\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 90px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876676\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u5de6\u4fa7\u7ad6\u6392 -->\r\n  <div style=\"height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876672\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"height: 500px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876680\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u6469\u5929\u697c\uff08\u548c\u5de6\u4fa7\u5b8c\u5168\u5bf9\u9f50\uff09 -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row: 3\/5; height: 750px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876678\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e6\" data-zoneid=\"5876682\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0\">\n<p>Social media algorithms are a powerful feature of online life, serving up content to users based on their browsing habits or personal data.<\/p>\n<p>Australia could soon give citizens the choice to opt out of them under new legislation that also threatens big tech companies with fines if they fail to protect young users from harmful content.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what algorithms do, and the arguments around their effects.<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 What is an algorithm? \u2013<\/p>\n<p>Open TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or other platforms and you\u2019ll see a scrolling feed or recommendations bar showing content targeted to your interests.<\/p>\n<p>These posts are selected for users based on programming rules called algorithms that predict what you will engage with \u2014 whether it\u2019s something you like, or that riles you.<\/p>\n<p>Broadly speaking, the recommendations are based on what the machine knows about you: what you\u2019ve interacted with or posted about online, or information such as your age, job, location and marital status.<\/p>\n<p>Social media giants usually keep the coding behind these algorithms \u2014 the so-called \u201csecret sauce\u201d that drives traffic to their platforms \u2014 closely guarded.<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Are they addictive? \u2013<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a familiar pattern for many \u2014 open your phone on a break and before you know it an hour has passed and you\u2019re still scrolling.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s by design, researchers and activists say.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese platforms have engineered addictive features that keep children and adults online longer than they intend, often at the expense of sleep, wellbeing and real-world connection,\u201d Mark Williams, honorary professor of cognitive neuroscience at Macquarie University, said.<\/p>\n<p>In a landmark trial\u00a0in Los Angeles this year, tech giants were accused of creating \u201caddiction machines\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Experts point to strategies companies use to encourage scrolling, like never-ending feeds, intermittent rewards and time-sensitive notifications.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis unpredictability triggers the dopamine system, creating a compulsive cycle of seeking and anticipation,\u201d University of Leicester lecturer Quynh Hoang wrote.<\/p>\n<p>This can create dependence similar to substance addiction, research published in online medical journal Cureus last year found.<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 What are the dangers? \u2013<\/p>\n<p>By pushing people to content they respond to emotionally, many say social media can drive us into \u201crabbit holes\u201d that are difficult to escape.<\/p>\n<p>The recommendations \u201care designed to hold our attention, and too often that means privileging provocative and extreme content because outrage drives engagement and engagement drives profit\u201d, Steven Roberts at\u00a0Monash University said.<\/p>\n<p>Algorithms have been accused of pushing teenage boys towards the \u201cmanosphere\u201d \u2014 communities and influencers that promote misogyny and violence against women.<\/p>\n<p>Research from Melbourne-based men\u2019s health charity Movember found that social media guided young men to that content whether they wanted it or not, a path leading from innocuous posts about working out and sports to violent, extreme content.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can already see the consequences in Australian schools,\u201d where \u201cmisogyny is rife\u201d, Roberts said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur national survey of more than 2,600 teachers found that\u2026 70 per cent had frequently or occasionally seen the impact of manosphere social media influencers present on student attitudes and behaviour.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 What is Australia proposing? \u2013<\/p>\n<p>Under Australia\u2019s new rules, social media giants must allow users to \u201copt out\u201d of the algorithm.<\/p>\n<p>It also holds the firms responsible for protecting under-18s from pornography, online bullying, and content that glorifies crime or encourages eating disorders.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cmy feed, my way\u201d initiative aims to bring social media back to basics \u2014 a feed focused on updates from friends, family and pages you follow.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe government has handed Australians a switch. Whether anyone flips it is another matter,\u201d Lisa Harrison, a lecturer in communication and media at Flinders University, said.<\/p>\n<p>In a 2025 survey of over 6,000 people in six countries, only one in five said they would switch off personalised recommendations if they could, she noted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe algorithm is good at its job, and the minority who do opt out will find a feed of friends and creators feels quieter than the one they left.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \u603b\u5bb9\u5668\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u5bbd908px Grid\u7d27\u51d1\u5e03\u5c40 -->\r\n<div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 728px 160px; gap:2px; width:908px; background:#eee; padding:2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u901a\u680f\u9876\u90e8\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u6a2a\u5e45 908x258 \u8de8\u6574\u884c -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; height:258px; background:#ff6b6b; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114307\" data-width=\"908\" data-height=\"258\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114307});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u7b2c\u4e8c\u901a\u680f\uff1a728\u00d790 \u901a\u680f -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; 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display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114302\" data-width=\"133\" data-height=\"139\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114302});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n    <div style=\"height:125px; background:#91e7ac; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t\r\n<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114303\" data-width=\"125\" data-height=\"125\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114303});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u7ad6\u680f\uff1a160\u00d7600 \u6574\u5217\u9ad8\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row:3\/8; height:600px;  display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114301\" data-width=\"160\" data-height=\"600\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114301});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<br \/> Amusing or addictive? The algorithms powering our social feeds<br \/>\n<br \/>#Amusing #addictive #algorithms #powering #social #feeds<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Social media algorithms are a powerful feature of online life, serving up content to users&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21595,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[411,412,15904,3155,8953,406],"class_list":["post-21594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-addictive","tag-algorithms","tag-amusing","tag-feeds","tag-powering","tag-social"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/557c4b643445907467f60a5e290ccd5240d4b999.jpg",768,512,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/557c4b643445907467f60a5e290ccd5240d4b999-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/557c4b643445907467f60a5e290ccd5240d4b999-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/557c4b643445907467f60a5e290ccd5240d4b999.jpg",640,427,false],"large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/557c4b643445907467f60a5e290ccd5240d4b999.jpg",640,427,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/557c4b643445907467f60a5e290ccd5240d4b999.jpg",768,512,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/557c4b643445907467f60a5e290ccd5240d4b999.jpg",768,512,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/557c4b643445907467f60a5e290ccd5240d4b999.jpg",768,512,false],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/557c4b643445907467f60a5e290ccd5240d4b999-768x500.jpg",768,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/557c4b643445907467f60a5e290ccd5240d4b999.jpg",768,512,false],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/557c4b643445907467f60a5e290ccd5240d4b999-540x340.jpg",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/557c4b643445907467f60a5e290ccd5240d4b999-400x250.jpg",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?cat=7\" rel=\"category\">Stories<\/a>","tag_info":"Stories","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21594"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21594\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}