Shock Algorithms are loosely defined as pieces of code which show users of a platform distressing content. This is based on a belief that distressing content forces an emotional response from a user and thus, keeps them engaging with the platform longer. And as user engagement is vital to a platforms business sustainability, shock algorithms seem like a useful tool for the producer. However, social media platforms aren’t well understood and thus, shock algorithms are heavily contested to even exist.
With this argument in mind, this episodes looks at and evaluates three schools of thought which argue why and how a shock algorithm might exist - but also how click restraint might be the key to breaking the shock cycle.
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Credits
Intro and Outro Song is 'Love of my life' by BoxCat Games, sourced from 'Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack' on Free Music Archive, Creative Commons Licence Attribution 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcodeBio Goes Here
