The omnipotent algorithm

I can't help to be both mesmerized and scared on how social media companies have managed to create a modern day addiction, one that gets us to watch an almost inmeasureble amount of short form constent every single day, at all time possible. How can something as simple as an app take that much away from us? Our time, attention, personality and even mood stability. Turns out the algorithm that make these platforms what they are it's just not that simple, but it isn't undesciphrable either. Yes, the key details that give those succesful results are hidden from rival companies and to avoid bad press (see cambridge analytica and Frances Haugen), the overall concept that determines their functioning is readily available on the internet for us to analyze.

Inspired by the essay on recommendation algorithms written by Arvind Narayan, I would like to share my very own think piece on this topic, based on observations and experiences, tiedto the well researched arguments presented on Narayan's essay.