Trapped in the Feed

I can’t remember how many times I’ve wasted an entire day scrolling on social media, and ended up with only exhaustion and nothing actually done.

But this isn’t accidental nor a matter of self-control: it reflects the result of carefully designed profit-driven mechanisms that aim to maximize scrolling time. You must have experienced them before; whether it is infinite scrolls that make your time glide away without noticing, or emotional manipulation by creating anxiety, it is obvious that these systems want to keep users scrolling longer than they intend. While social media can seem to foster emotional support and communication, its presence in our lives is ultimately negative because it constantly releases negative energy.

The act of attracting users and prioritizing their use time is closely related to the idea of  the attention economy. Georgetown Law student Rai Hasen Masoud defines attention economy as “a system in which human attention, a finite and valuable resource, is treated as a commodity: captured, analyzed, and traded for profit by digital platforms and advertisers.” With that said, mechanisms used by algorithms strictly align with this logic. The algorithm tracks your preferences, from your watch time to videos you like to contents you replay. By constantly adapting to individual preferences, algorithms are able to effectively prolong the time users spend. 

Normally, natural pauses like reaching the end of a video give users a chance to take a break and decide whether to stop or continue. However, with the design of infinite scroll, the process of continuous scrolling becomes normalized and automatic. As new content continues to pop up, users are no longer controlling their watch time; instead, it is the platform making decisions for them. The result of this subtle shift is reducing users’ awareness of time, therefore achieving the goal of maximizing screen time. And the design of infinite scroll isn’t random; it is built around the idea of attention economy, where longer screen time is directly converted into higher revenue. However, while companies are benefiting financially from the extended screentime, it has resulted in users’ poor mental health since design features like the infinite scroll have led to addiction and mental health distress. In fact, social media companies like Meta and YouTube are being sued for the reason of harming users’ overall well-being.

Beyond the loss of time, these companies also manipulate emotion, particularly negative emotions like anxiety, to keep users engaged. One of the clearest examples is the promotion of unrealistic beauty standards. Algorithms favor content of idealized bodies, flawless skin, and curated lifestyle to users because self-doubt, insecurity, and comparison created by these standards keep users scrolling. The impact of this is clear– the fanaticism of “looksmaxxing” is poisoning the young generation. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Thirty-two percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse.” Nevertheless, as social media points out “imperfections,” they also sell the solution. According to The New York Times, “The global beauty industry generates $500 billion in annual sales, and social media is now an important driver, especially for the youngest target demographic, Gen Z.”

Zooming out, what feels like connection or entertainment on social media is often carefully engineered to maximize profit - deeply relying on the emotional value created by it makes an individual’s emotions and attention easily manipulated by algorithms. To overcome manipulation, individuals should focus on in-person communication as it enables deeper connection and provides more meaningful interaction.