How "the algorithm" shapes public discourse...

The Past:

1. Someone makes content.

2. Content is appealing to their followers.

3. Followers disseminate the content and if more people like it, it becomes more popular.

4. Content becomes trending and trending therefore becomes an accurate representor of popularity.

Today:

1. Someone makes content.

2. Content is appealing to their followers.

3. Followers attempt to disseminate content, but because there is now a robotic proxy the transmission never carries through.

4. Algorithm decides to promote something else because it works off of positive reinforcement cycles. Instead of promoting artistically risky opinions or content, it just goes with what sells over and over again.

5. Many people are perpetually exposed to the same content repeatedly.

6. What is trending now no longer becomes representative of what is popular, but instead what a robot thinks sells.

7. Discourse becomes monochromatic.