We are being boiled like frogs. It happened gradually, one algorithmic tweak at a time. What started as a way to connect with friends has become a system that gives the corporations that run social media control over what we consume and the ability to subtly shape how we think.

We used to control apps like Facebook and Instagram with our own choices. They became daily comforts, making the world seem a little bit smaller and closer by bringing the people that we cared about together in to one place.

But from the perspective of these companies, that’s a problem. Our personal worlds, our friends, family, and connections, are finite. Once we’ve caught up, we put the app down. That’s bad for business.

Social media companies need us flicking through their apps as long as they can keep us there. More eyes on ads is more money. So they play the system a bit. You’ve lingered on enough photos of cute puppies, they know what you like.

Before long those feeds of finite content are replaced by infinite algorithmic content pulled from millions of users trying to optimise their posts to be picked up by the omnipotent algorithms. Algorithms which are completely opaque to us.

Sci-fi imagines megacorporations controlling our minds with brain implants. Some worry that companies are already listening in. But they don’t have to - they already control our eyes.

The creators of TikTok, Instagram etc. have gained control over exactly what we see. What we see strongly influences how we think. They know that their feeds make us angry, they know the negative effects on our mental health (particularly that of teens), and they know that they have an influence on our opinion.

With the power to shape what we see comes the power to shape what we believe. Whether through deliberate manipulation or the slow creep of algorithmic recommendations, engagement is fueled by outrage, and outrage breeds extremism. The result is a feedback loop that isolates users, reinforces beliefs, and deprioritises opposing viewpoints.

We live in times where being able to form our own opinion is more important than ever. Where knowing how to source and identify truthful information is a critical skill.

Our reliance on being spoon fed ideas is destroying those abilities, Alec of Technology Connections calls this algorithmic complacency, referencing our increasing inability to look outside our algorithmically created bubble. The social media companies don’t care, the only person who has any interest in fixing this is you.

It’s time to take back control of how we think. We’ve identified the problem, now it’s time to take action.

We don’t all have the freedom, interest or willpower to delete social media from our lives entirely. It’s still where our friends are, an occasional distraction from reality and a source of entertainment. You don’t have to become a digital outcast to hold back this influence.

So what can we do?

1. Go directly to the source - if you like a particular TikTok creator, Facebook page or YouTube channel, skip the feed and go directly to their pages. Consider bookmarking their profiles individually.
2. Learn to find information and entertainment without a feed - try to find a creator making videos or writing about a topic of interest without having to stumble across them in a feed.
3. Use platforms and platform features that let you control your experience - Instagram’s ‘Following’ feed, YouTube’s Subscriptions page, Bluesky, Mastodon and RSS feeds
4. Be mindful of engagement traps - recognise how algorithmic feeds are designed to keep you engaged and scrolling. Take a breath and stop the cycle.
5. Talk about it - if you’re reading this you a already know this is a problem. Your friends and family may not be aware of how their feeds are manipulating their attention and beliefs. Without intervention, the radicalisation of opinions, and the consequences we’re already seeing, will only escalate.

The internet should serve you, not the other way around. Take back control. Kill your feeds before they kill your ability to think independently.