How algorithms shape which stories a person sees
Launch library · evergreen read
The stories a person encounters online are often shaped less by editorial judgement and more by algorithms designed to maximise engagement above all else. Content that provokes a strong reaction is frequently promoted well ahead of content that is simply accurate or genuinely balanced in its coverage, regardless of how significant either story actually is in objective terms.
This dynamic does not necessarily mean the information shown is false in any way, but it can distort a person's overall sense of proportion. It makes rare or extreme events feel more common than they actually are, simply because they generate more engagement from users browsing the platform at any given moment. Proportion, in other words, becomes the quiet casualty of this whole process.
Understanding this mechanism helps explain why a feed can feel urgent or alarming even when the underlying reality has changed very little in any meaningful sense. It also encourages a more measured response to content that seems designed primarily to provoke a strong reaction rather than genuinely to inform the person viewing it.