"It's unsettling when a scientist of your caliber proves vulnerable to the very algorithmic rabbit holes you understand better than most. If algorithms can be retrained, here's my concern: are those of us who've abandoned mainstream social media truly safe? Or are we still being shaped by the platforms we do trust — including AARP, Substacks like yours with guest doctors, and colleagues like Dr. Eric Topol? If even the scientifically literate aren't immune, that's worth addressing directly."
I think everyone is to some degree shaped by the platforms they trust, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The unique thing about Instagram and other platforms with similar algorithms is how quickly it adapts to the user and quickly surfaces content in a particular niche, which creates the rabbit hole effect when there is a topic they’re already concerned about. I don’t see the same thing happening on substack or newsletters, because there is more manual curation of what the reader wants to see.
Recognition is at least 80% of problem resolution. Good for you Kristin that you have realized that you are, at least in this way, susceptible to the allure of algorithms just like everyone else.
"It's unsettling when a scientist of your caliber proves vulnerable to the very algorithmic rabbit holes you understand better than most. If algorithms can be retrained, here's my concern: are those of us who've abandoned mainstream social media truly safe? Or are we still being shaped by the platforms we do trust — including AARP, Substacks like yours with guest doctors, and colleagues like Dr. Eric Topol? If even the scientifically literate aren't immune, that's worth addressing directly."
I think everyone is to some degree shaped by the platforms they trust, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The unique thing about Instagram and other platforms with similar algorithms is how quickly it adapts to the user and quickly surfaces content in a particular niche, which creates the rabbit hole effect when there is a topic they’re already concerned about. I don’t see the same thing happening on substack or newsletters, because there is more manual curation of what the reader wants to see.
Recognition is at least 80% of problem resolution. Good for you Kristin that you have realized that you are, at least in this way, susceptible to the allure of algorithms just like everyone else.