- Hey guys, what's up?
I'm Christian Taylor, and today I'm going to answer a pressing question.
Why does social media have an algorithm?
Now, let's back up.
Several years ago when social media was released, everything worked in a chronological order,
meaning, if somebody posted to Facebook, and then another friend posted to Facebook after
that, you would see things in the order they were posted.
This was logical.
You would see the newest stuff first, and as you scrolled down it got older.
But several years ago there was a change, a change no one really asked for, and a change
no one really likes: the introduction of algorithms.
Yes, you know it, you know what they are, they're the annoying thing that causes a post
to stay at the top of your feed for 3 days when it's a week old, and meanwhile, all the
new posts are at the bottom of your feed and you have to dig around, and it's just annoying
cause everything is out of order.
It's super irritating!
The consumer didn't ask for it, the consumer doesn't like it, so why do algorithms exist
on social media?
Well, everything revolves around engagement time.
How long you are spending on the platform, and how long they are able to keep you on
the platform in a single session.
Let me explain: you may notice your feed consists mainly of news, and controversial topics such
as debates, or posts that get a lot of comments, and you probably wonder why.
Why don't you see that person posting what they ate for dinner last night anymore?
Well, I'm gonna be honest and blunt, it's because that's boring.
You may think you want to see what your friend ate for dinner last night, but after you scroll
down a couple of posts like that, you're gonna get bored, you're gonna close the tab in your
browser, you're gonna exit the app on your phone, and you're gonna move on with life.
However, if you see a gun control debate or a debate about abortion or a really, just,
high-profile topic that's heavily debated, it's going to just reach deep into the depths
of your soul, and you can't help but get involved and get into a debate.
Oh, but once you comment, you're hooked.
You're hooked!
You're gonna keep coming back to the app, you're gonna keep responding to comments angrily
and meanwhile you're spending a ton of time on the platform.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, they've sucked you in.
They've got you invested where you're gonna keep coming back for more.
You're gonna keep checking for comments, you're gonna keep replying and meanwhile, those are
the posts that keep you coming back for more.
So, the whole reason there's an algorithm is to keep you on the platform longer.
Now, why do companies want this?
Well, it's obvious.
Social media companies make their money from ads.
Ads that show up in your feed.
The longer you are on Facebook scrolling down through your feed, the more ads you see, the
more money they make.
So yeah, it all revolves around money.
Money is what it boils down to and is why algorithms exist.
And this reaches beyond a further post because you might be saying "Alright, fine.
I admit to getting caught up in a gun control debate or a debate about gay marriage.
I admit it, I've been caught up in it, but I'm just coming back to that one post, commenting,
and leaving and moving on."
Well, by you doing that, there's a change in your thinking, and you become drawn closer
to the social network cause once that debate ends, you're like, "wow, you know, that was
actually in the slightest bit entertaining," and you start seeking out other opportunities.
In other words, the more you interact on social media, the more likely you are to organically
come back and browse through your feed.
It's an addiction!
The more you engage, the more you have this longing for more, wanting to engage further
with other posts, and coming back for more, and spending more time on the platform.
So I hope you're able to see why social media sites have an algorithm.
It all boils down to the shift of thinking of what they think you want to see to what
you really want to see and what keeps you engaged so they can make as much money as
possible.
So, what do you think of my take on this?
Do you agree with me, and do you think this is why social media sites have an algorithm?
Definitely be sure to drop your thoughts below, and if you liked this video, please be sure
to hit that thumbs up button.
Subscribe and click the Bell to enable post notifications because I release new content
once a week about things in the world of tech.
With that being said, I'll catch you guys next time.
(Slow techno music)
No comments:
Post a Comment