Social media algorithms play a significant role in online experiences by delivering content based on users' browsing habits and personal information.
Australia could soon give citizens the choice to opt out of algorithms under new legislation that also threatens Big Tech with fines if they fail to protect young users from harmful content.
Open TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or other platforms, and you'll see a scrolling feed or recommendations bar showing content targeted to your interests.
These posts are selected for users based on programming rules called algorithms that predict user engagement, whether through positive reinforcement or provocation.
Broadly speaking, recommendations are based on users' digital history: past interactions, online posts, age, job, location and marital status.
Social media giants usually keep the code behind these algorithms – the so-called "secret sauce" that drives traffic to their platforms – closely guarded.
It is a familiar pattern for many – you open your phone on a break, and before you know it, an hour has passed, and you're still scrolling.
That is by design, researchers and activists say.
"These platforms have engineered addictive features that keep children and adults online longer than they intend, often at the expense of sleep, well-being and real-world connection," said Mark Williams, honorary professor of cognitive neuroscience at Macquarie University.
In a landmark trial in Los Angeles this year, tech giants were accused of creating "addiction machines."
Experts point to strategies companies use to encourage scrolling, such as never-ending feeds, intermittent rewards and time-sensitive notifications.
"This unpredictability triggers the dopamine system, creating a compulsive cycle of seeking and anticipation," University of Leicester lecturer Quynh Hoang wrote.
This can create dependence similar to substance addiction, according to research published last year in the online medical journal Cureus.
By pushing people to content they respond to emotionally, many say social media can drive users into "rabbit holes" that are difficult to escape.
The recommendations "are designed to hold our attention, and too often that means privileging provocative and extreme content because outrage drives engagement and engagement drives profit," Steven Roberts at Monash University said.
Algorithms have been accused of pushing teenage boys toward the "manosphere" – communities and influencers that promote misogyny and violence against women.
Research from Melbourne-based men's health charity "Movember" found that social media guided young men to that content whether they wanted it or not, a path leading from innocuous posts about working out and sports to violent, extreme content.
"We can already see the consequences in Australian schools," Roberts said.
"Our national survey of more than 2,600 teachers found that 70% had frequently or occasionally seen the impact of manosphere social media influencers present on student attitudes and behavior."
Under Australia's proposed rules, social media giants must allow users to "opt out" of the algorithm.
The legislation would also hold firms responsible for protecting minors from issues such as online bullying and content that glorifies crime or encourages eating disorders.
The "My Feed, My Way" initiative aims to bring social media back to basics – a feed focused on updates from friends, family and followed accounts.
"The government has handed Australians a switch. Whether anyone flips it is another matter," Lisa Harrison, a lecturer in communication and media at Flinders University, said.
In a 2025 survey of more than 6,000 people in six countries, only one in five said they would switch off personalized recommendations if they could, she noted.
"The algorithm is good at its job, and the minority who do opt out will find a feed of friends and creators feels quieter than the one they left."
