Another view ...
... Algorithms. Can't live with them, can't live without them. Social media platforms are notoriously cagey about their own ones, and we'll be damned if we're going to pretend we understand how they work.
Basically, algorithms feed you a conveyor belt of content that social media giants think will be relevant to you. That might feel great when you're shown hilarious TikTok videos, local dining spots you need to try out, and can keep up with all the latest news when it comes to your favorite celebrity, but why does it sometimes feel like we're being fed a bunch of nonsense? Worse than that, why are there continued complaints that X shovels a bunch of ragebait our way?
Apparently, there could be a good reason for it.
Since taking over Twitter in 2022, Elon Musk has been accused of driving the platform into the ground by overhauling how the old Twitter blue system works, removing the ability to fully block, and allowing hate speech to flow.
This affects both ends of the political spectrum, with the left and the right arguing that they're being bombarded with content that doesn't align with their views. Musk vowed to reveal exactly how the X algorithm works by making it open source, with it now possible to even see whether you've been shadowbanned.
As for the idea that we're gobbling ragebait as part of some evil master plan, a study titled "Value misalignment of X's feed algorithm is a reflection of value tensions in engagement" has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Researchers suggest that X's algorithm prioritizes engagement on the For You Page (FYP), while users who identify as Democrats are apparently served more ragebait. ...
