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Technology

Social media algorithms can change your views in just a single day

The content you see on social media is often determined by an algorithm - and it turns out that these algorithms can rapidly change your views

By Chris Stokel-Walker

28 November 2024

Platforms like X can shape political views

Algi Febri Sugita/ZUMA Press/Alamy

The algorithms behind social media platforms can change your attitude towards people with different political views in just one day, suggesting that tech companies really can have a strong influence on how we perceive others.

Most social media platforms use algorithms to sort a user’s feed, generally ranking posts by someone’s likelihood of engaging with them and presenting the most engaging first – but this may inadvertently be pushing people apart.

“The trend in polarisation more…

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