I turned off my algorithm for 24 hours. Is this how social media used to be?
Thanks to a little-known feature in Instagram, I attempt to travel back to 2012, before everything on the internet was an ad
TL;DR
- The author tested turning off their social media algorithm for 24 hours to see if it resembled early social media.
- Switching to a chronological feed limited content significantly, with the app indicating 'End of following'.
- The author observed that social media has shifted from communication to self-promotion.
- Despite the potential for negative algorithmic influence, the author's personal experience was not deeply problematic.
- The experiment led the author to consider opting out of social media entirely rather than just disabling algorithms.