mekka okereke Jul 28, 2023

If we pretend that the only options are:

1) Chronological feed
2) Algorithmic feed where a company chooses the algorithm and objective function

And we pretend that "Share of time is a perfect metric for happiness," then this might make sense.

But... time spent isn't a perfect metric for happiness, and there is another option: 3) Algorithmic feed where the user has more control of the algorithm and objective function.

Eg, chronological *is* an algorithmic feed!🙂🙃

https://www.wired.com/story/meta-just-proved-people-hate-chronological-feeds/

Meta Just Proved People Hate Chronological Feeds

Some social media users and lawmakers say chronological feeds are healthier. A new study found that Facebook and Instagram users who were forced to see time-ranked posts turned to TikTok instead.

WIRED
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@mekkaokereke If people spend more time on an algorithmic feed...

What if they're not scrolling because they're having a good time? What if they're scrolling until they hit an internal satisfaction quota? Then the algorithmic feed means it's taking longer to find all the posts they like, and they get to them faster if they have a chronological feed.

They only see time spent in the app as a good thing because it's more time to show us ads. They don't actually care if we're having a good time.

Jul 29, 2023 at 6:44amWeb