Have you ever stopped to wonder how the content you are shown online is selected? If you’re on social media, how does the platform choose what to show you first? 

The short answer to that is algorithms. But there’s a lot more to it than that, starting with what the word means. 

An ‘algorithm’ is a set of instructions that are given to solve a problem or complete a task. Think of it as a step-by-step guide.  

 
Where Will I Encounter Algorithms? 

Algorithms are a huge part of most of the engagement that you do online. They’re working away invisibly in the background of most of online tasks.  

With artificial intelligence now part of… well, pretty much everything… the way online content is served to you is now more complex than it’s ever been. 

Examples of where algorithms are working include: 

• Search engines – algorithms decide which results you see first in your search. 

• Online shopping – algorithms suggest products you might be interested in based on an algorithm. 

• Streaming services – Any recommendations of what to watch or listen to next will be chosen by an algorithm. 

• Email safety – If you receive any emails, algorithms will try to detect if they are spam, dangerous or promotional, to remove emails you may not need/want to see. 

• Journey planning – mapping tools and sat nav will use algorithms to work out the quickest route to get to your destination.  

But one of the biggest and most common uses, is in social media. 

Algorithms In Social Media 

One of the most common cases of algorithms is in social media.  

In this case, the companies that create and manage the social media platforms develop their own algorithms that their systems use. These algorithms decide what content you are shown each time you log into your profile.  

The algorithms use a selection of key values, including what content you have previously interacted with, to choose what you see, when you see it, and how often you see it.