Data Detox
As time goes by, social media is becoming more and more prevalent in everyday life. However, scientists, and even some Silicon Valley tech companies, are revealing the truth regarding social media’s effects on people, their behaviors and everyday lives.
What are Algorithms?
Social media companies such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube have figured out ways to make the apps more addicting through the use of algorithms. An algorithm is a mathematical system that takes the user’s data such as followers, likes, posts they click and engage on as well as other activities on the app to influence the person’s feed. These algorithms affect your “For You Page,” recommendations and your overall timeline and feed.
Below is a list of some of the top social media platforms that use algorithms.
How various platforms use Algorithms:
- Facebook
- Facebook uses algorithms through interactions with other users, the popularity of a post and the types of posts users interact with. These factors influence what is on a person’s feed so that content is based on what a user likes.
- Twitter
- Twitter has become one of the most influential platforms, especially when it comes to news and politics. Twitter provides users with a mix of real-time posts as well as content filtered through algorithms. Even though users can turn off the algorithm feed on the app, Twitter still filters posts through their timeliness, popularity, engagement, various forms of media and overall activity. The more likes, impressions, comments and retweets a post has as well as when it was posted influences when it will show on someone’s timeline.
- Instagram
- Instagram’s algorithms are also influenced by interest, as well as relationships and the amount of time spent on the app. The key to Instagram’s algorithms is that it calculates past activity to affect a user’s timeline as well as whom the user interacts with the most and what posts they like and engage with. Instagram’s timeline is also timely, but if a user took a break from the app for a while and decide to log back on, their timeline will be influenced by past activities.
- TikTok
- TikTok’s algorithms are slightly unique compared to other social media platforms as a user’s timeline isn’t influenced by the number of followers they have or the success of their videos. Instead, it is influenced by content they like and interact with. Hashtags and captions play a big role in one’s timeline, as well as a user’s language and country.
Social Media’s Effect on Mental Health
Although it may seem like social media users have control over their media consumption, experts are now saying social media’s algorithms are a form of manipulation. According to Jaron Lanier, the ‘computer philosopher’ of Silicon Valley, social media is playing off people’s emotions, which primarily lean toward anger. He says users are drawn to the cycle of addiction, where they get caught up in feuds between others and engage in negative posts until they post something that becomes popular, and then the cycle happens again. When a user feels positive toward the reaction of their post, Lanier and others from Silicon Valley call this the ‘dopamine hit.’
According to Teen Vogue, experts say dopamine is one of the key roles that play in social media’s marketing. Dopamine is the ‘feel-good’ chemical that releases in humans’ brains that trigger the inner reward system. It happens after eating good food, having sex and receiving likes and comments on a social media post. Experts told Teen Vogue that social media is purposefully addictive to increase engagement.
In Stolen Focus, Johann Hari lists ways in which social media influences user engagement. His first point relates back to the concept of sites and apps “…designed to train users’ minds to crave frequent rewards,” (Hari 132). He also says they influence users to switch tasks more frequently by picking up their phone or clicking on a social media site on their laptop. Social media sites also “frack” users, by learning their personal triggers to make them want to stay on the app or keep scrolling. According to Hari and Lanier, anger is another driving force that pushes users to keep using social media. Scientists have done various experiments that prove anger affects one’s ability to focus.
Overall, social media companies know their apps are addictive and yet continue to utilize their algorithmic systems to keep engaging users. Lanier says social media can be used in more positive ways but continue to feed off primarily negative reactions.
Data Detox Experiment
For five days from Sunday, Sept. 11 to Thursday, Sept. 15, I decided to give up TikTok, as I find myself mindlessly scrolling through the app for hours, wasting my mornings and nights. At first, I wasn’t too thrilled about giving up an app that’s a part of my daily routine. However, this experiment was necessary for me to open my eyes and realize how dependent I can be on social media.
For the first three days, I was good at not opening TikTok. However, I found myself opening Instagram reels. Although I wasn’t scrolling as often as I normally do since I prefer my TikTok feed over my Instagram Reel feed, I still found myself looking at short, 15-second videos periodically throughout my day. Whether I was bored or stressed, I would turn to Instagram and even Facebook. On the second and third days of the experiment, I noticed I was getting better sleep and I felt proud of myself that I was able to limit my scrolling and not open TikTok.
However, as the week became a little more loaded with schoolwork and other commitments, there were times I completely forgot about the experiment, and I became to open TikTok without realizing it. There would be a few times throughout the day when I would open it and catch myself about three to five minutes after being on the app. However, when it came time for bed, I found myself scrolling through TikTok for about 10-15 minutes. When I looked back at the screen time on my phone, I saw these mistakes added up to roughly 25 minutes of my day. This is excluding my use of other social media apps. This is the app I tried to give up for five days.
This made me feel frustrated with myself as I partially failed the experiment. However, I realized it may not have been a complete failure, as it made me open my eyes to realize how much I use social media and mindlessly scroll. I became more aware of how I waste my time and how easily distracted I can get. Also, after conducting research, I realized I am not fully to blame, as social media is purposefully distracting. Lanier says he believes Donald Trump has fallen victim to the algorithms of Twitter, which has affected his image. This experiment made me realize I shouldn’t be so hard on myself if I find myself opening social media apps. Instead, I should be mindful of how often I spend my time on social media and which tasks I prioritize throughout my day. Overall, this experiment made me see how influential social media can be in our daily lives. I see the importance of time management and finding balance when it comes to social media and daily habits. Now, I am more mindful of how often I spend my time on social media. I will continue to mute unnecessary notifications, which is something I’ve been doing for months and has significantly reduced my anxiety, as well as catching myself when mindlessly scrolling and asking myself, “What are more productive ways I could be spending my time at this moment?"
References
Channel4News (Director). (2018, June 15). Jaron Lanier interview on how social media ruins your life [Video file]. In YouTube. Retrieved September 18, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc_Jq42Og7Q
Hari, J. (2022). Cause Seven: The Rise of Technology That Can Track and Manipulate You (Part Two). In Stolen focus: Why you can’t pay attention–and how to think deeply again (First Edition ed., pp. 124-142). Crown.
McNamara, B. (2021, November 10). Social media isn't just addictive - it's addictive by design. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.teenvogue.com/story/the-science-behind-social-medias-hold-on-our-mental-health
O'Brian, C. How do social media algorithms work? (2022, August 23). Digital Marketing Institute. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://ied.eu/blog/technology-blog/how-do-social-media-algorithms-work/
Oviond. (n.d.). Understanding social media algorithms. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.oviond.com/understanding-social-media-algorithms