Advice from writers who actually wore recommendation algorithms — what it looks like, how it fits, and how it holds up day to day.
13 articles
Feeds
Autocomplete turns repeated curiosity into a durable label. A joke, denial or recycled clip can keep a rumor beside someone’s name long after its premise has fallen apart.
Reuben Adeyemi · August 11, 2026 · 8 min
Feeds
TikTok’s search box compresses popularity, personalization and controversy into the same few suggested words. The interface supplies no evidence, but it can still make an accusation feel pre-checked.
Cass Ito · 7 min read
Feeds
A suggested search can state the accusation that every video merely circles. TikTok then turns the gap between rumor and proof into another reason to keep watching.
Priya Nandakumar · 7 min read
Feeds
A local name can disguise a remote content operation built from police logs, weather alerts and recycled outrage. The useful clues sit in Page transparency, the website footer and the ad stack.
Reuben Adeyemi · 8 min read
Feeds
X’s crowd-sourced fact checks can produce credible corrections. The fake Pentagon explosion showed the catch: consensus arrives on human time, while falsehood travels at feed speed.
Cass Ito · 8 min read
Feeds
TikTok Shop search folds paid placements, commission-backed videos and seller ratings into one stream. Here is a repeatable way to separate product evidence from sales machinery.
Priya Nandakumar · 8 min read
Feeds
A suggested-search row can make an unverified celebrity rumor look organized, popular and ready to investigate. The menu is not evidence. Its packaging still changes the story.
Cass Ito · 7 min read
Feeds
A suggested query can attach an allegation to a person before anyone searches for it. TikTok offers reporting tools, but the named subject gets little visibility into why the prompt exists.
Reuben Adeyemi · 8 min read
Feeds
Fake storm maps and disaster images copy the graphics people already trust. Platforms reward the recognition hit long before anyone checks who issued the forecast.
Cass Ito · 8 min read
Feeds
A rusted iron belt becomes proof of medieval cruelty after faceless videos copy the same weak claim. Search then mistakes repetition for corroboration.
Priya Nandakumar · 8 min read
Screen
Netflix does not show every viewer the same movie poster. Its personalized artwork sells a title through your viewing history, changing the promise before the film starts.
Nina Brandt · 8 min read
Feeds
Creators are skipping the setup and handing viewers a mystery. The feed cannot measure comprehension, but it can measure how long confusion keeps your thumb still.
Priya Nandakumar · 8 min read
Feeds
TikTok can learn that you dislike one slime clip without learning that you dislike slime. A controlled feed test shows what to suppress, what to log and when to use stronger controls.
Priya Nandakumar · 8 min read
Other impacts
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