Source: PsyPost – Psychology News
A study reveals that X's engagement-maximizing algorithm systematically promotes content opposing users' stated values. This exposes a core tension in attention-based business models: platforms optimize for time-on-site, not user satisfaction or coherence. The gap matters because it undermines the "personalization" promise that justified algorithmic feeds. Users aren't receiving a curated experience reflecting their preferences; they're receiving deliberately jarring content designed to provoke reaction. Advertisers face growing backlash for funding divisive content. Competitors like Bluesky emphasize algorithmic transparency. X now faces pressure to prove its engagement metrics translate to actual business value rather than eroding user trust.