Oh, my mistake. Nevermind
The latest groups Facebook thinks I’d be interested in joining include “Boas and Boas Only” and “Squirrels Make Me Happy”.
I must have fried an algorithm or two.
A short video on the subject:
Sometimes the algorithm just completely hallucinates. My TikTok recently went from showing me about 9/10 videos of things I’m interested in to only about 1/20. Even though I mark them as “not interested” it just keeps pushing this random crap now. How it went from “oh he likes bicycling, let’s show him bicycling videos” to “oh he likes bicycling, let’s show him videos of monkeys having sex and a close-up of a cow taking a dump” I have no idea. Facebook and Instagram have similarly fragile algorithms, and I bet the powers that be are a-ok with it because the random bullshit (literally) boosts engagement and ad revenue by some 0.02%. Maybe I should add this example to the late-stage capitalism thread.
Thank you all for the many answers! (I gather it’s like bullies - you ignore them and eventually they’ll go away?). If I ever click on a reel again, it’s going to be 101 things to make with a flour tortilla or cute kitties knocking things off a shelf.
I definitely trained mine: if anything came up that was remotely interesting, I’d click on it and let it play through. If things came up that I was curious about but worried it’d poison the algorithm, I’d let my curiosity go unsatisfied.
Now I mostly get self-effacing stand-up comedians and magic tricks, which I’m okay with.
One thing to be aware of is that sometimes unscrupulous people make videos with animals and children in contrived situations in order to maximize views. For instance, someone may put a puppy in a drain pipe so they can make a video of them “rescuing” the puppy. Or a parent may do something to cause their child to cry so that they can make a video of them “comforting” the child. If you see videos where you suspect something like that, don’t interact with it at all and get it off the screen as quickly as possible. The more interactions it has, the more it will be promoted, and the more videos like that the person will make in order to maximize revenue.
I would actually extend that recommendation to not watch any videos where someone or some animal is not able to consent. Social media will promote videos in a category based on how much people watch that category. So if videos with kids and animals are popular, videos with kids and animals will be promoted more and become more popular. Content creators who just care about views, likes, and interactions to generate revenue will create videos in whatever category brings in the most revenue. If that’s kids and animal videos, then content creators will make kid and animal videos even if they have to contrive situations in order to create content. By avoiding interacting with kid and animal videos they will be less popular, be less profitable, and therefore be less likely to be exploited by unscrupulous people.
I get a lot of cute cats.
I get no pets in danger, etc, and I skip over those, but “consent”?
I watched some video once where a guy dressed up as a bush and then startled passersby, and for months Facebook decided I wanted to watch videos of people pulling cruel pranks on each other. It took a long time to get away from those.
Don’t these social media algorithms notice when you’re around other users and adjust your content based on that? i.e. If my social media sees that I’m an an event surrounded by a bunch of NASCAR fans, it’s more likely I start seeing that kind of subject matter pop up in my feeds?
Back in 2024, my Facebook feed was full of Christian and specifically Black Christian single dating sites. I am not Christian or Black, nor was I searching such sites, but for a few months it was just constantly there.
I wish, but I found this statement to not be true. From my previous thread on this topic, I struggled for months; but the only way to solve the problem was to finally be beaten down into eventually ‘liking’ and watching something. Doing nothing and even trying to block that content was never successful.
I’ll admit I’m a bit over the line on this, but I don’t really like when people use animals for their own purposes. It’s great that someone plays with their pet, but if they are creating a video with the goal of maximizing likes and engagement, the person may be more focused on getting the perfect video rather than having fun with their pet. Maybe their dog doesn’t want to fetch the ball for the 100th time because their owner needs the lighting to be perfect.
And with wildlife, people may encroach on animals in order to get the perfect shot for lots of likes and go viral. They’re not necessarily making a video for their own memory. They are making the video with the goal of putting it on social media. They may get closer to the animals or contrive situations (such as put out food) in order to get the perfect video. And when people see the cute videos on social media, they are enticed to make their own similar videos of animals. For instance, someone may upload a video of a pod of dolphins off the coast. Almost immediately after, people will descend on that location in boats and jetskis in order to get videos and selfies with the dolphins. These subsequent people aren’t necessarily going there because they love and respect dolphins. They are going there because they know a video of them swimming with dolphins will generate lots of likes. I’m pretty sure the dolphins would rather be left alone.
Like I said, I admit I’m at the extreme end with this viewpoint. I’d just rather animals be free to live their life rather than be manipulated and swarmed upon by people looking for social media points.
I fully agree with this post.
I fail to see much rhyme or reason in the way FB directs reels to my feed. I belong to several skeptic groups that mock Graham Hancock and his conspiracy ilk. So of course, FB decides I would love crackpot reels about Saddam Hussein employing the Annunaki (I am not making this up). Currently I’m getting an African woman who describes aspects of life in her village, and a series of short workplace dramas with one woman playing all the characters, mocking obnoxious bosses. A lot of people sitting in their cars to talk about whatever. As though sitting in a car helps the gift of gab? I don’t know why I keep getting stuff about heterosexual dating. I close those out right quick, but they keep coming.
As for makeup videos, there’s a new trend of women talking about any political or cultural subject whatever which has nothing to do with makeup, while applying makeup. Not sure what’s the point of that, but it keeps happening. I also get outdoorsy women showing how to split logs and other woodcraft. Not sure why.
At least I get plenty cat videos and also that Irish historian asking “Who Did What Now?” She’s good.
A few minutes ago, I posted on FB, for friend only, how my mental health is suffering under current conditions and I want to move to Uruguay.
Next thing I know, up pops Therapy Jeff on Reels with “A 5 Step Plan to Stay Informed Without Losing Your Mind” and he says (verbatim quote): “Let’s pack that away in the same suitcase you’re using to escape to Uruguay. I hear it’s super easy to escape to.”
Mind. Blown.
Yes, and since I posted that, F.B. Purity has fixed the issue (i.e. coded around whatever roadblocks FB put up to force Reels to show) and once again I no longer see Reels at all. For now.