Social Media & Algorithms: Congrats, You’re the Product

I know, you say. I know what you’re going to say. If that’s the case, please still indulge me. Listen, I get it. We are all tired, and somehow still really spicy at the same time. We need our nervous energy to go somewhere, all while feeling a connection to those who are away from us. It can be a recipe for disaster if we aren’t aware of what’s going on.

Having spent 16 years in Automotive digital marketing, three of those years knee-deep in social media management I shouldn’t be shy about saying that I’m a subject matter expert. In that time, I also spent 13 years building a following for my burlesque persona. So I also have experience with being a Content Creator. That means I planned content that easily got attention and could expand my audience. Not super hard when it’s about Boobies, but anyway. Between networking, through word of mouth, live performances, and posting content to keep people engaged without losing my entire soul to the algorithm gods I built up quite a following. Facebook was my main stage, and I managed to collect 53K followers to date (steadily losing this count because my intelligence isn’t always appreciated). I’ve done alright on Instagram and TikTok, too. So, when I say I know how this beast operates, I mean I have wrestled it, fed it, and, at times, been devoured by it.

I’ve also had the enlightening and terrible privilege of seeing social media from the inside out—not just as a performer and marketer but as someone with access to accounts across the political spectrum. If you’ve never had the pleasure of stepping behind the curtain of that particular carnival, let me tell you: it can sideswipe you. After this last election cycle finished, I hit a breaking point. My mental health took a nosedive, I started having panic episodes, and I still can’t tell if it was trauma from witnessing the absolute garbage of humanity people can display or just my hormones betraying me. Probably both. I am treating this as something I need to pay attention to, and I hope this can shine a light on ways to better our Social Media usage and maybe feel a little sane in the process. Social Media can be a beautiful thing, but it also creates loneliness and anger and we don’t need more of that. We’ve done anger. It’s a played out process.

Here’s the thing: I have watched propaganda spread in real time. I have seen bots swarm comment sections, muddying the waters so that no one knows what’s real anymore. I have seen the ugliest, most dehumanizing tactics used to turn people against each other, all for the sake of engagement. And the worst part? It’s not an accident. It’s by design. You’ll notice our Social Media platforms never ask us to rethink this rage-bait nonsense we are about to post. Yeah, that’s for a reason. Why would they? Someone else will keep that bait moving. “More fishes, yes please!!” - says the never exhausted machines running our lives.

You ARE the Product

If you’ve ever felt like social media was sucking your soul dry, that’s because it is. Social media platforms don’t exist to connect you with friends and family. They don’t exist to make you happy. They exist to make money, and the currency is your attention. Every second you spend scrolling, liking, commenting, arguing, and doom-scrolling is another second they can sell to advertisers. And you know what keeps people engaged more than cute puppy videos? Outrage. Fear. Tribalism. The kind of content that makes you want to throw your phone across the room but then pick it back up to see what happens next.

Algorithms are designed to keep you in a bubble, feeding you content that reinforces your beliefs while subtly nudging you toward more extreme versions of them. Why? Because the more emotionally invested you are, the more time you’ll spend on the platform. And the more time you spend, the more ads they can shove in your face. This isn’t a conspiracy theory—it’s the business model.

Please know I’ve posted BS before. I’ve deleted many a content item after a friendly human lets me know I should look further into it. I’m wrong all the time!

The Pain of Being Wrong

Here’s a fun fact: when someone challenges one of your deeply held beliefs, your brain reacts the same way it would if you were being physically attacked. It’s called cognitive dissonance, and it’s why people double down on bad information instead of questioning it. Social media platforms know this and use it against you. That’s why debates online rarely end with someone saying, “Wow, you’re right, I’ve changed my mind.” Instead, they end with people digging their heels in deeper, convinced that the other side is irredeemably evil.

The Election Circus and Misinformation

Social media has changed elections forever. It’s no longer about presenting a vision for the future—it’s about convincing you that the other side is the literal devil. Political campaigns now rely more on smear tactics and misinformation than actual policy discussions. Why? Because fear works. Because anger spreads. And because when people are fighting each other, they’re not looking up to see who’s pulling the strings.

We all want change, but we disagree on how to achieve it. And instead of having real conversations about solutions, we’re being manipulated into hating each other. People are laughing at the misfortune of others, making it seem like thinly veiled cruelty is normal. They celebrate “owning” their opponents and share misleading headlines because they confirm what they already believe. And that? That is exactly what those in power want.

How to Break the Cycle

If you want to avoid being a pawn in this game, here are a few things you can do:

1. QUESTION CONTENT – Before sharing that spicy headline, ask yourself: Where is this coming from? Who benefits from me believing this? Is this even real?

2. Check Multiple Sources – If only one outlet is reporting something, be suspicious. The truth usually has more than one witness.

3. Be Wary of Repetition – Just because you’ve seen something a thousand times doesn’t make it true. The internet thrives on the illusion of consensus.

4. Recognize Emotional Manipulation – If a post is designed to make you angry or afraid, pause. Those emotions are engagement gold.

5. Remember That Influencers Are Not Your Friends – Even the ones you like. Even me. Social media rewards attention-seeking behavior, and the truth isn’t always profitable.

   
   

I am in no way saying that everyone doesn’t have a right to their anger, and shouldn’t challenge each other. By all means please call each other out, that’s how we learn, from conversation that’s a tad bit uncomfortable. But remember people are scared and in pain, and if you can’t feel something for your fellow person in pain I feel sorry for your heart. At the end of the day, we can’t keep letting misinformation rule us. We have to want to be more intelligent, and that means accepting lessons that hurt. But I truly believe we can handle the truth, and it’s simpler than we all want to think. The folks at the top hope for our confusion and ignorance. It’s the only way we can make a path to be better. And most of all, we have to remember that the people we’re being told to hate? They’re just as manipulated as we are. So in a way, don’t forget to have empathy too. Maybe they are following the wrong talking head that speaks in the tongues that tickle their eardrum. We’ve all been there before.

The real enemy isn’t the humans on the other side of the little black screen. Our system profits from keeping us at each other’s throats, and I am frankly fucking sick of participating. As long as we’re kept fighting tooth and nail, we’ll never take the time to look up at the face of our puppet masters. You’re not a pawn. You’re a living breathing soul in a body, on an earth where we could do so much together, if not for historically loving the act of being divide in two. Enough is Enough.

Not everyone will have the spoons to be patient. Some folks have had it up to here with each other. Fellow people, we are exhausted. But don’t let that exhaustion make you forget your humanity. It's what they want.