Inside the Algorithms: Why You See What You See on Social Media

It may seem like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube already know who you are as you scroll through them. You see videos that are related to what you like, funny memes that are related to what you like, and ads that are related to what you were thinking about five minutes ago. This is not magic; it’s the work of computers that make suggestions.

What’s wrong? Most people don’t know how these systems work or how much they change what they see, think, and even believe. Let’s break it down.

What is an algorithm for social media?

You can think of a social media algorithm as a list of rules and calculations that tell your feed what to show you and how to show it. When you open an app, the platform’s system sorts through millions of possible posts right away and shows you the ones it thinks you’ll be most interested in.

It’s not in order or by chance; it’s based on your preferences.

What the process of personalization is like

Most social media ranking systems work in three steps, though the specifics vary from platform to platform:

It keeps track of every click, like, comment, share, search, and even pause (how long you look at a post).
Machine learning is used by the site to figure out which posts you’re most likely to interact with next.
Ranking and Delivery: The algorithm puts the “highest scoring” things at the top of your feed out of all the material that is available.

The loop keeps going because your actions give the system more information, which changes what it thinks will happen in the future. In this way, your feed can change a lot after a few days of interacting with a new subject.

Important things that affect what you see

There are different ways that different platforms weigh information, but these are the main things that make up your feed:

1. What do you do directly

People who like, write, share, and save
Which accounts do you follow and stop following
Things you look for or click on

These are the most obvious signs of what you want to see.

2. The way you act passively

Watch movies for a while.
How fast do you scroll
Posts you look at but don’t engage with

This often says more about you than your direct likes.

3. How well the text does

Posts that do well overall get rewards from platforms. The algorithm may show a video to more people, even if they’ve never watched or engaged with something like that before, if it gets a lot of engagement quickly.

4. Being new and important

Usually, newer information is shown first. Sites like TikTok also use popular music or hashtags to find material that is related to what’s “hot” at the moment.

5. Goals for the platform

Let’s be honest: these businesses don’t just want you to be happy. They make feeds so that people stay on the app longer, which means more ad views and money.

Examples of methods that are unique to a platform

Instagram looks at your past engagement, your relationships (how often you talk to someone), and how new your posts are. The systems that run the main feed, Stories, Explore, and Reels are a little different.
Watch time, loops, and whether or not you share a video are very important to TikTok. Little things, like skipping over some information, tell the algorithm what not to show you.
YouTube looks at session duration (how long you stay on the site total) and the number of clicks on video thumbnails.
Twitter/X: Uses patterns of interaction and interests in topics. It also tries to guess which tweets will “start a conversation.”

The effect of an echo box

People who don’t like social media algorithms say that they can keep you in a “filter bubble.”

You see fewer different or new ideas because the system keeps showing you what you already like. This can:

Even if they’re wrong, hold on to what you believe.
Limit your exposure to different points of view
Make material that is very extreme seem more normal over time.

New “explore” tabs and suggested themes have been added by platforms to make things more interesting, but the personalization bias is still very strong.

How computers can change how things work

Algorithms aren’t impartial. They can change views, trends, and even political movements by choosing what gets attention. Studies have shown that even small changes in order, like making it easier to remember to register to vote, can have big effects on behavior.

The system that learns what jokes you like also learns what fears or wants you might have that would make you click “Buy Now.”

Is it possible to change what the program shows you?

You may not be able to fully control it, but you can change it. How to do it:

When you interact with something, be deliberate. Only like, share, and write on things that you want to see more of.
Look for different things. Look up things that aren’t normally interesting to you to make your feed more varied.
Turn off or remove content. Click “Not Interested” or “Hide” to tell the algorithm not to show certain posts.
Clear your history. Some platforms let you start over with suggestions.

Follow a lot of different sources. This will keep your feed from getting too narrow.

Why don’t people trust computers?

Personalization isn’t the problem; it’s how hard it is to understand how the systems work. Users don’t often know:

Which signs are most important?
How ads are shown to people
Whether it’s for political or business reasons, what’s helped

When there isn’t enough openness, people start to think the worst. These ideas aren’t completely wrong, especially after recent news about algorithmic bias and spreading false information.

What’s next for social media algorithms

What you can expect computers to do:

Not only know what you like, but also when and why you like it.
Linked to AI content creation: Customized content might not only be suggested, but it might also be made for you right now.
Regulated: Governments want more openness, especially when it comes to political material and kids’ feeds.
Modifiable by the user: In the future, platforms may add toggles for “chronological mode” or “topic-focused mode” to give you more power.

Last thoughts

Algorithms on social media sites are not mystery puppet masters, but they’re also not harmless background code either. These systems are finely tuned to keep you moving, and they do a good job of it.

You have more control over your feed, your attention, and your mind if you know how they work. You can either give the program good thoughts or let it go crazy.

No matter what, the next time a post seems to be made just for you, you’ll know it’s not fate but math.