Do you know that, too? You often scroll through Facebook or Instagram for hours, sometimes without realizing how much time you waste. But how does artificial intelligence (AI) actually decide which content is presented to us and which is not? Let's take a look behind the scenes and examine this question.
How do algorithms influence our feed?
The functions and algorithms behind our Facebook and Instagram feeds are remarkably complex systems. They use a range of parameters and preferences to determine what content is most relevant and interesting to us.
The foundation of these systems is based on decisions we as users have made. For example, our interactions with posts, such as sharing, are an indicator of what type of content we value. Therefore, the algorithms take note of these activities and use them as a factor in predicting future content that will be presented to us.
But it's not just our previous actions that the AI takes into account when making decisions. It also uses predictions based on user behavior patterns and survey feedback to predict our interactions with future content.
Transparency is key
To give users a better understanding of these complex processes, Meta has begun to provide more detailed information. This includes 22 “system cards” ( Our approach to explaining ranking ) for Facebook and Instagram that provide information about how their AI systems evaluate content and make predictions.
The role of signals
Any behavior we exhibit on social media platforms is considered a signal. Whether it's liking a post, commenting or sharing, each of these signals plays a crucial role in deciding what content to show us. Meta has begun exposing these signals and predictive models ( Our Approach to Facebook Feed Ranking| Transparency Center) to help users gain a deeper understanding of how the content they see in their feeds is selected.
However, it is important to emphasize that this disclosure is not unconditional. There are limits, particularly when it comes to how these signals are used to identify and remove harmful content. While transparency is sought, it is equally important to ensure that this information is not used to circumvent security measures.
Control over our feed
Meta understands that users want more control over their social media feeds. Therefore, new features have been introduced that allow users to customize their experiences on the platforms.
On Instagram, for example, they are testing a new feature that allows users to signal their interest in a suggested Reel in order to see more similar content. Facebook has a “Show more, show less” feature ( Why Am I Seeing This? We Have an Answer for You | Meta) that allows us to further customize the content we see.
Collaboration with researchers
To further improve the usefulness of the algorithms and promote the exchange of knowledge, Meta offers the research community access to tools and data. They've introduced a content library and API that includes data from public posts, pages, groups, and events on Facebook, as well as public posts and data from creator and business accounts on Instagram.
Conclusion
It's exciting to see how algorithms and AI are helping us personalize our experiences on social media platforms. It's important that companies like Meta strive to make these processes more transparent and give us more control over the content we see. It will be interesting to see how these technologies evolve and what impact that will have on our digital experience.
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Also read: Pope Francis, climate change and euthanasia in a fact check
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

