Mission 6 of 7 · 7 min
The recommendation bubble
Why the app keeps showing you the same things, why what makes people angry spreads most – and how to tell that your feed isn't the whole world.
The app chooses your feed
There are so many videos and posts that nobody could get through them all. So the app chooses for you. This choosing is called recommending, and a computer program does it – an algorithm.
Big platforms describe what they base their choices on: what you watch and for how long, what you like, share and comment on, who you follow and what you tap “Not interested” on. One of them says that watching a longer video right to the end is a strong sign of interest. Then it offers you more like it.
The same platform admits that recommending can unintentionally narrow what you see, and that there's a risk of an ever more samey stream of videos. This is called a bubble.
What makes people angry spreads
One study looked at over half a million posts on a social network about three controversial political topics. Each word expressing a strong moral emotion, such as outrage, made a post spread about 20% more.
Another study compared two feeds: one ranked by what people react to most, and one sorted only by time. The first showed more angry posts attacking “the other side”. Yet people didn't actually want them: they didn't prefer the political posts chosen this way to the others, and after reading them they felt worse about “the other side”.
A review of many studies says that a completely closed bubble is rarer than people often think – most people get news from different sources. But your feed can easily give you a distorted sense of what “everyone” thinks.
A feed isn't a poll. How many videos with one opinion you see doesn't tell you what other people think.
How to get out of the bubble
- Ask why you're seeing it. Is the app showing me this because it's important, or because I watch similar videos?
- Look for the other side too. Deliberately search for the opposite opinion and the original source: what's actually being proposed, what actually happened.
- Pause when something makes you angry. Anger is exactly the reaction your feed rewards with more of the same.
- Adjust your feed. Tap “Not interested” on videos you don't want. In some apps you can delete or pause your watch history. And in the EU, large platforms must also offer a feed that isn't based on your profile – for example one sorted by time.
- Ask the people around you. What do your classmates, family or teachers think – and why?
Find out more about the “Everyone's doing it” trick in the Manipulation atlas.
Game: Where is the feed fooling you?
Correct: 0 of 3Tap the parts that are meant to make you angry or convince you that everyone thinks so. One of the messages is honest.
If you can't see anything suspicious, tap “I see nothing suspicious”.
Round 1 of 3 · Found: 0
The fifth video about the T-shirts Chris got that evening
The school wants to force matching T-shirts on us and destroy our last bit of freedom! 😡 Look at the comments: nobody wants this. Share so as many people as possible see it!
The breakdown will appear here once you finish.
Quiz: Bubble or the whole world?
Quiz · 0/31. Why does the app keep showing you similar videos?
2. Your feed only shows you videos against an idea. What follows from that?
3. What helps you get out of the bubble?
Talk together
- What has the app been showing you most lately? Why do you think it's that?
- Can you think of a topic where you only see one opinion in your feed? Where could you find the other one?
- Compare your feed with an adult's: how are they different, and why?
Tip for adults: Show each other what your apps offer you – you'll see that everyone gets a slightly different world. Don't criticise what your child watches; ask instead why the app might be showing it to them. You can also look together for the “Not interested” option or a feed that isn't based on your profile – in the EU, large platforms have to offer one.
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