Ever wonder how social media decides what your teen sees? Learn how algorithms shape content recommendations and discover actionable tips to help your child navigate their online world safely.
What are Social Media Algorithms?
As parents trying to understand and monitor your child or adolescent’s social media use, it is helpful to recognize the role of algorithms shaping teen and adult online experiences. Algorithms are essentially sets of rules or calculations designed by social media platforms to determine what content is shown to users. These rules are driven by complex mathematical formulas that prioritize certain types of content over others, often aiming to keep users engaged for longer periods. While this technology can personalize a teen’s experience, it can also have unintended negative effects.
How Algorithms Work
- Personalization: Social media platforms collect data on users’ behaviors, such as likes, comments, shares, and time spent viewing posts. This data helps create a “profile” of what the user is interested in. For example, if a teen frequently watches videos about fitness, the algorithm might show more fitness-related content.
- Reinforcement: By continually showing similar content, algorithms can reinforce specific interests or beliefs. While this can be positive (e.g., fostering interest in educational topics), it can also create “echo chambers” that amplify unhealthy behaviors or narrow perspectives.
- Recommendation: Algorithms suggest new content, groups, or people to follow. While this might help teens discover new hobbies or supportive communities, it can also expose them to harmful content, such as unrealistic beauty standards, misinformation, or extremist ideologies.
Example: The “Recipe Recommendation Loop”
Imagine your teen is interested in cooking and watches a video on a social media platform about how to bake chocolate chip cookies. The platform’s algorithm notices their interest and starts showing them more videos about baking—brownies, cakes, and other desserts. Excited, your teen engages with these posts by liking, commenting, or watching them fully.
Over time, the algorithm “learns” that your teen loves baking content and begins prioritizing similar videos in their feed. However, the algorithm’s goal is to keep your teen engaged for as long as possible, so it doesn’t stop at baking. It might start showing videos about extreme dieting or appearance-related content, which can subtly shift the focus from baking as a hobby to something more harmful, like promoting unrealistic beauty standards or disordered eating.
Why This Happens:
The algorithm’s job is to maximize engagement, not assess whether the content is beneficial. It connects content that seems “related” based on past behavior, often leading users into deeper niches—some of which may not be healthy.
How This Affects Teens:
Parents might see their teen starting with an innocent interest like baking and suddenly encountering content that promotes harmful comparisons or unrealistic ideals. Because this happens gradually, teens might not realize how their feed is changing, making it harder to critically evaluate what they see.
Risks of Algorithms for Teens
- Exposure to Harmful Content: Algorithms might unintentionally promote content that glamorizes harmful behaviors like disordered eating, self-harm, or bullying.
- Overemphasis on Appearance: Teens, especially girls, may be exposed to posts that idealize certain body types or lifestyles, fueling unhealthy social comparisons.
- Addictive Scrolling: Features like infinite scrolling are designed to keep users engaged, making it difficult for teens to self-regulate their time online.
- Data Exploitation: Teens may not fully understand how their online behaviors are being tracked and used for targeted advertising or other commercial purposes.
Recommendations for Parents
To mitigate these risks, the American Psychological Association (APA) in its Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence advises:
- Educating Teens About Algorithms: Help your teen understand that the content they see is curated by algorithms—not necessarily a true reflection of reality. Explain how these systems amplify certain behaviors to keep users engaged.
- What’s in the Report: The APA encourages clear, age-appropriate conversations about how social media platforms use data to shape user experiences.
- Extrapolated: Use examples from your teen’s social media feed to show how their interactions influence the content they see.
- Encouraging Critical Thinking: Teach your teen to question the credibility and intentions behind the content they encounter. For instance:
- Why is this post being shown to me?
- Is this information accurate?
- How might this image or message have been edited or manipulated?
This digital literacy can help teens make informed choices about their engagement online.
- Promoting Varied Experiences: Encourage teens to follow a broad range of accounts and interact with diverse content to prevent the algorithm from narrowing their interests into a single theme.
- Monitoring Content Together: Work with your teen to periodically review the types of content appearing on their feed.
- What’s in the Report: The APA advises that younger teens should not have unrestricted access to social media. Co-viewing and discussing their feed can provide a developmental buffer against harmful content.
- Extrapolated: Look at how the “Explore” or “Recommended” sections are populated and discuss whether the content aligns with your teen’s values and interests.
- Using Platform Tools: Many platforms now offer tools to reset recommendations or block specific types of content. Teach your teen how to use these features to take control of their online experience.
Final Thoughts
Understanding algorithms is key to helping teens navigate social media responsibly. While these systems can provide meaningful personalization, they can also present significant risks. As parents, guiding your teen to recognize and question the influence of algorithms will empower them to make healthier choices and reduce the likelihood of harmful online interactions.
See our companion article: Social Media and Teens-What Parents Need to Know
American Psychological Association. (2023). Health advisory on social media use in adolescence. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org
Written by Lisa J Meier with support from ChatGPT.