Algorithms, famous for being the complicated yet strategic move to make your content reach the top. The backhand of robots has since ruled the introduction of social media to lengthen users’ attention span as long as possible. The continuous category appears on our feed after we like, share, or tap something similar – and bury everything else.

What Are Social Media Algorithm and Why Is It Everywhere?

For a simpler understanding, social media algorithms are tailored to sort posts in your feed focusing on relevancy instead of publishing time. The possibility that a person will view a post determines which post appears first in their feed on their social media platform. Mose social media feeds used to display content in reverse chronological order before the transition to algorithms. In other words, the most recent postings from accounts that a user followed will appear first.

Social media algorithms decide which content appears to you based on your actions. Because they are accounts you engage with the most, social media such as Facebook and Twitter may prioritize postings from your closest friends and family in your feed for your viewing.

High chances that happened to you were recommended videos appearing on YouTube and Netflix. Well, this is based on your preferences, looking into what you’ve already watched and what other users with similar interests are viewing. On each network, elements play a role in this, such as categories, tags, and searching using keywords that fall into recommended contents. It’s not a bad thing because algorithms make it easy for you to view things on your feed without needing to search them up.

If It’s So Good, Why Is It So Controversial?

There are different approaches and views when it comes to algorithms. In this vast world, there are bound to have differences, and this is one of them. The negative results of algorithmic design are frequently the subject of heated debates in the context of algorithmic disputes. Such discussions often revolve around privacy concerns: algorithms work with a user’s data to “know” how to display relevant content on a social media site. For example, sensitive data has been released to the network, such as geographical location, friends, and acquaintances with whom they engage the most, and frequently visited the hashtags and pages. 

Algorithms that utilize shadow bans may create information gaps by hiding or dismissing some postings while favoring revenue-generating content. This element of algorithmic design is contentious since it implies that people should choose which information is significant or worthy of appreciation. As a result, algorithmic design unavoidably influences the spread of specific cultures and shapes the digital society in a particular way. It determines which types of content or topics should be prioritized in each feed and which artists, content creators, or brands should be given more prominence than others.

Why Does Social Media Algorithm Exist?

The goal of an algorithm is to provide users with relevant content. The existence of algorithms on social media sites is to more naturally sift through the vast quantity of content available on each platform. Algorithms perform the heavy lifting, especially for users who follow hundreds or thousands of accounts on social media. The algorithm process offers information that is possibly more worth your time to view at the expense of postings that are judged irrelevant or low-quality.

There’s also the theory that social media algorithms exist to encourage companies to pay more for social advertisements. This is when companies can’t reach their target audience organically, they’ll turn to ads. On the contrary, this means more liquidity for social networks. For companies, this involves figuring out what algorithms “desire” and what may make content appear low-quality or irrelevant to their target audience.

Whether you like it or not, social media algorithms are an inextricable part of our social world. A basic understanding of what they are and how they function is a valuable tool for presenting your social media presence out there.