Social media has become a dominant force in shaping public opinion, influencing everything from political beliefs to consumer behavior. While users may believe they have control over the content they see, powerful algorithms determine what appears on their feeds. These algorithms maximize engagement, but they also shape perspectives, reinforce biases, and sometimes distort reality.

How Social Media Algorithms Work

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok use complex algorithms to personalize content feeds based on user behavior. This includes:

• What users like, comment on, and share
• Who they follow and interact with
• How long they dwell on a post
• Their past viewing history

For example, if someone often watches videos about climate change, the platform will continue to show them more of the same content. While this may seem helpful at first, it can also limit their view of the world, shaping it around what they already believe and have previously interacted with.

These algorithms aim to keep users engaged for as long as possible. The more time people spend on a platform, the more advertisements they view, which increases the platform’s revenue. However, this personalization comes with consequences. By continuously showing content that aligns with a user’s existing beliefs and interests, algorithms create echo chambers.

Echo Chambers and the Reinforcement of Beliefs

One of the most significant ways algorithms shape public opinion is through the creation of echo chambers where people are exposed primarily to opinions that match their own.

Echo chambers thrive on algorithmic curation. When users engage with content that aligns with their beliefs, the algorithm assumes that’s what they want more of and feeds it to them in increasing doses. This leads to confirmation bias, a psychological tendency where people give more weight to information that supports their preconceptions while ignoring or dismissing opposing viewpoints.

For example, if a user frequently engages with dog videos, the platform will continue to recommend similar content, limiting exposure to other types of videos, such as those about cats or other animals.

The Amplification of Misinformation and Sensational Content

Algorithms aim to show people content that keeps them interested and engaged. Often, the posts that get the most attention are those that are surprising, emotional, or controversial. Sadly, this means false information, wild conspiracy theories, and shocking headlines can spread faster than carefully checked, accurate news.

A study from MIT in 2018 found that fake news on Twitter spread six times faster than the truth. One reason is that people are more likely to share surprising or dramatic stories. Algorithms make this worse by showing those posts to even more people.

Platforms like Facebook and YouTube have faced criticism for recommending extreme views, fake health tips, or conspiracy theories, especially during critical times like elections or the COVID-19 pandemic. Although these platforms have tried to fix the problem by labeling false information and changing how they recommend content, it’s still very hard to stop all harmful content from spreading because the systems are so big and complex.

Manipulation and Influence

Social media algorithms primarily aim to keep people engaged and active on the platform. However, governments, companies, special interest groups, and even regular users can use them to influence others. This manipulation often goes unnoticed, as people don’t realize that others are subtly shaping their opinions, stirring their emotions, or directing their attention.

Emotional Manipulation

Algorithms often show content that causes strong emotions like anger, fear, or excitement, because this kind of content gets more likes, shares, and comments. The more emotional a post is, the more people interact with it. So, the algorithm pushes it to more users. This can make problems seem bigger than they are or make people argue more online.

In one case, Facebook tested whether it could affect people’s moods by changing the kind of posts they saw—more positive or more negative. The test worked. People reacted with similar emotions to what they saw in their feed. This showed how powerful social media can be in shaping how we feel.

Political Influence and Propaganda

Governments, political groups, and even fake accounts use algorithms to spread messages or lies that support their side. This happened in countries like Myanmar, where hate speech spread on Facebook helped fuel real-world violence. In other places, political ads target specific groups with custom messages designed to sway votes or create confusion, even if they aren’t true. Most people don’t realize that the algorithm targets them this way. They believe they’re seeing normal content, but the algorithm carefully plans and pushes it to them.

Influence by Commercial Interests

Companies and influencers use algorithms to sell products and shape opinions. For example, if the algorithm keeps showing you a skincare product or diet trend in your feed, you might think it’s really popular and effective, even though it’s just heavily promoted. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell what’s a real recommendation and what’s a paid ad.

This can especially affect young people, who may feel pressure to look or act a certain way because of what they constantly see online.

Invisible Manipulation

The most dangerous part of how algorithms influence us is that it usually happens without us knowing. With traditional media, we choose what to watch or read. But on social media, the platform chooses what to show us first, based on a hidden system.

We feel like we’re making our own choices, but really, we’re picking from content that’s already been sorted and ranked for us. This creates a loop: we interact with certain posts, the algorithm shows us more like them, and we keep clicking. Over time, this not only strengthens our current beliefs but can slowly change them in ways we never planned.

Conclusion

Social media algorithms have a huge influence on public opinion, shaping what we see and how we think. While they personalize content for us, they also create risks like echo chambers, misinformation, and mental health issues. Understanding how these algorithms work is the first step in regaining control over our digital experiences.

We need more transparency from platforms and stronger rules to hold them accountable. Together, we can ensure that social media serves the public good, not just profits.

“Don’t let the algorithm think for you. Follow diverse voices, question your feed, and share with others. Shape your own opinion and don’t let it be shaped for you.”