Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Warning: Social Media Is Distorting Your Newsfeed

My husband and I have noticed a shift on socials. We lean politically opposite on different topics, and despite algorithms claiming to show us content we like, we now see a lot of angry, opposing viewpoints. For example, since I follow Democrat content, I now get far-right posts about how much Republicans hate me, and my husband gets posts about how much Democrats hate Republicans. This sudden shift, especially on TikTok, is concerning. Just a heads-up to be aware: companies can slant and control what you see. This becomes rampant near elections because making people angry increases interactions, which boosts profits. As we've seen in past elections, Russia and China have tried to negatively impact our elections and shift our perspectives.