The Algorithm — The editor you never chose

Social media does not show you what is happening. It shows you what keeps you scrolling. The algorithm tracks what you click, how long you pause, and what you skip. Then it gives you more of what held your attention. The feed is a mirror of your past behaviour, not a window to the world.

• Two people searching the same topic on the same platform can get different results. The algorithm personalises everything.
• To test this: open a social media app on a friend's phone. The content will look different from yours.