By Dr. Tamika Quinn
www.tamikaquinn.com/tamikastake
I’ve noticed something that keeps giving me pause. Some of the people closest to me see completely different things in their newsfeeds, even when we share interests and follow some of the same people. I’ll ask, “Did you see that story about…?” and get a surprised “No.” Meanwhile, I’ve seen it so many times that I assumed everybody knew about it.
That made me wonder: How much of what feels like common knowledge is simply what my feed keeps putting in front of me?
Let me tell you, we can be sitting beside each other on the same couch and scrolling through two very different versions of the world. One person sees community celebrations and business opportunities. Another sees conflict, catastrophe and people arguing. Neither screen is a complete picture, but each can feel convincing when it is what you keep seeing.
We often talk about social media as though we open an app and freely choose what to consume. We do make choices. But we make many of them from a selection already arranged for us.
Meta’s own explanation of Facebook Feed ranking describes using thousands of signals to predict what a person will find valuable. Those predictions help determine which posts appear higher or lower. Following the same accounts does not guarantee that two people will see the same posts in the same order. Personalization is part of the design. [1]
That can be useful. I appreciate discovering information that connects with my interests. As a speaker, author and health advocate, I also understand how valuable these platforms can be for reaching people who might otherwise never encounter my work.
But I want us to ask a harder question: Does what keeps our attention always deserve our attention?
Not Public Property By
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Dr. Tamika Quinn
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Imagine opening an app to check on a friend and finding yourself twenty minutes later in a comment section arguing with someone whose profile picture is a truck. You didn’t schedule that debate. Somehow, it became part of your day.
That is why rage bait deserves scrutiny. A post can provoke a reaction without helping us understand anything. Before we know it, we are defending ourselves, correcting strangers or watching another upsetting clip. We may feel strongly opposed to the content while still giving it our time.
Research offers a concrete reason for concern. In an experiment involving Twitter users, researchers compared posts selected by the platform’s engagement-based ranking with posts from a chronological feed. The algorithm selected more emotionally charged content and more hostility toward opposing political groups.
Participants reported feeling worse about those groups after reading the algorithm-selected posts. The researchers also found that users did not prefer the political posts chosen by the algorithm. [2]
That last finding matters to me. What gets a reaction from us may be different from what we would thoughtfully choose to spend time with.
We should also be honest about what the evidence does and does not establish. A separate study of Facebook and Instagram during the 2020 election found that switching participants to chronological feeds changed their exposure and reduced time spent on the platforms. It did not significantly change polarization or other key political attitudes over the three-month study. [3]
So I am not suggesting that every feed controls every belief. People have convictions, relationships and experiences beyond their screens. The findings do give us reason to examine what platforms amplify and to avoid treating our individual feeds as reliable portraits of the whole world.
This matters when we talk to one another. If someone hasn’t seen the story filling your screen, that does not automatically mean they are uninformed or indifferent. They may have been shown something else entirely. Before we accuse someone of ignoring an issue, we can share the source and have an actual conversation.
As a health advocate, I also want us to pay attention to how we feel when we put the phone down. Did that time leave you informed? Encouraged? Ready to take useful action? Or are you carrying frustration from an argument that had nothing to do with your life before you opened the app?
We can start with a few deliberate habits. Visit trusted news sources directly instead of waiting for stories to reach your feed. Read beyond the headline, check the date and look for the original reporting before sharing. Seeing the same claim repeatedly is a reason to investigate it, not proof that it is true.
Be selective about participation, too. You can care deeply about an issue without entering every argument about it. Decide what you came online to do and give yourself a stopping point. When a post instantly makes you furious, pause long enough to ask what information is missing and what your response would accomplish.
Individual habits cannot carry the whole responsibility. Platforms should explain their recommendations clearly and give people meaningful control over what they see. Researchers need opportunities to examine those systems independently. We deserve to know more about the decisions shaping our information environment.
I will keep using my voice online, and I want you to use yours. I also want us to remain curious about the machinery between our voices and the people who hear them.
Your feed is a selection. You still have the right to question it, look beyond it and decide where your attention belongs.
Your mind is not public property.
For more thought-provoking perspectives, visit Tamika’s Take at tamikaquinn.com/tamikastake.
Sources
1. Meta — Our Approach to Facebook Feed Ranking
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