When I'm looking for something to fill time, I often turn to Facebook for entertainment with abundant Buzzfeed listicles, funny pictures, ironic quotes. Sometimes, though, I'm looking for something more. Entertainment is great, but there are times when I want to find something that will make me think about the world and how I interact with it. Sometimes I want to grow as a person from what I read instead of just experience a transient mood boost.
The media has gone viral. It has been for a little while now, but sometimes it is easy to not notice the shift as it happens. The news stories that get viewed are those that have "viral" qualities, and it shows in what is popular. Most of what millennials read is through Facebook, where clickbait still reigns. Seriously, just take a look through your Facebook feed. How many article titles are teasers that tell you little to none about the article's actual content and are designed to get you curious enough to click, even if you don't actually read it at all. And then, there are listicles. They can be entertaining, sure, but they exist basically only in hopes of going viral. Buzzfeed exists almost entirely on its ability to create viral content!
So, what are we supposed to do if we want depth? Our entertainment needs are certainly being met, no argument there. But, what if we want to read things that make us think, help us grow or even just learn about issues our world faces?
We choose the content we see, more than ever. If you want your Facebook feed to be filled with cute animal posts, all you have to do is like and share them frequently and you'll see more. If you want viral content and clickbait, like and share those for more. If you want depth and thought-provoking content, like and share that. The algorithms that drive your feed will take what you like and give you more content like it. Liking pages with content you enjoy also shows you more content from similar pages. It is actually possible to take Facebook and turn it into a viable, if somewhat capricious, source of education and news.
Youtube can do the exact same thing. Based on the channels you subscribe to and the videos you watch, you will receive suggestions for new videos that follow similar themes. Here again, you could craft your recommendations to provide a myriad of feline entertainment, the latest music videos or even educational content.
For Google users, Google Now does something similar. It uses your browsing and search history to provide suggestions of stories from across the internet. For example, I've been reading a lot of articles to keep up with the election, so now, every day when I look at the suggested articles, there are plenty about the election, often more than I have the stomach to read. For a while, my recommendations were dominated by things I had been researching for fun or class. I even get updates for some of my favorite comics (like XKCD).
Media today is ruled by views and shares. From Youtube to Buzzfeed to this site! A video or article sinks or swims based on views and, often more importantly, shares. So, whatever you want to get from your social media, make sure to share it. Even if you don't think others will like it, share it, so you can see more. You never know who among your friends might want to see the exact same thing.
Take control of your social media feeds, and remember that every like or share is a vote to see more of a given kind of content. Use your voice to get more of the content you want and to reward those who provide that content.
