ELI5: How does the social media algorithm work

The social media algorithm decides what you see online by guessing what you'll like most.

Imagine your toy box is like the internet and your parents are the algorithm. They want you to be happy, so they try to pick out toys you'll love to play with. They do this by:

• Watching you: They notice you spend lots of time playing with your building blocks, and only a little time with your stuffed animals. This is like the algorithm tracking what you like, comment on, share, and how long you watch things.

• Remembering what your friends like: If your best friend loves cars, your parents might think you'll like them too. The algorithm considers if your friends or people you follow are interested in similar things.

• Looking at what's new: If a brand new shiny toy comes out, your parents might show it to you because it's popular. The algorithm shows you recent posts that are getting lots of attention.

• Guessing: Based on all this, your parents pick a few toys from the box to give you. The algorithm shows you posts it thinks you'll enjoy.

• Learning: If you play with a toy they picked, they know they guessed right. If you ignore it, they learn to pick different toys next time. The algorithm gets smarter over time based on your actions.