Social media is everywhere - in our minds, our ears, and all around us. Ever wondered what happens when you try to crack the secret code behind a social media app’s algorithm? Prianka Srinivasan grabbed a burner phone, crafted a new identity and ventured into the digital labyrinth of Instagram to uncover how algorithms work – and whether they define us.
The Mystery Behind the ‘Insta’ Feed
Prianka’s journey began on an ordinary night with bewildering videos streaming down her screen like an endless cosmic filigree of seemingly random content. It wasn’t just curiosity that drove her, but a deeper motivation to uncover the truth masked behind her social media diet - one heavily spiced with entertainment and devoid of nutritional content, like an all-dessert buffet with no greens.
Posing as a stranger in a strange digital land, Prianka forged a new existence through ‘Tank Promotion’, her pseudonymous Instagram account, ushering herself into a sterile enveloped universe.
Unraveling Instagram’s Spell
As Prianka wandered through her faux digital landscape, bizarre coincidences marred her intentions. How did Instagram know about her past filled with South Indian treats or local Melbourne happenings? Was her device really tracking her location, or were there invisible strings pulling her back into the matrix of her own life?
Associative geolocation logic has been betted as a prime suspect. Our devices, according to experts, chat among themselves, mapping our social connections even when we are oblivious to it. It’s a curated social net where location mingles with association, all through the taps and swipes we make unknowingly.
Into the Algorithmic Abyss
With internet shadows ever behind her, Prianka was about to venture deeper. To test the vulnerabilities of the algorithmic web, she tried to invisibly transform herself into a different persona – this time as a ‘new mother’. But as she doubled down on her tactics, what emerged was a twist in her tale - her feed began filling with unexpected, suggestive provocations.
Whether triggered by free Wi-Fi in a London café or driven by algorithms angled at engagement, the content morphed, rooting her into a tale that unravelled new, unsettling trends.
Infiltrating the Teenage Universe
Next, the eclectic experiment dipped into the teenage world. A medley of algorithms brought forth gaming, prank videos, and provocations sprung tangentially with news events – all surprises of a machine gauging the pulse of teen intrigue and tendencies. But as Prianka pushed boundaries, she immersed within a rabbit hole teeming with masculine stereotypes and radical content.
Finding the Escape Hatch
All escapades must end with a revelation. With the gravity of her exploration hanging in the digital air, Prianka connected with others battling digital addiction, yearning to sever the tether to their algorithm-fed worlds. With gratitude, they found solace and strategies to reclaim their agency from the engagement frenzy.
Through deliberate action, Prianka peeled back layers of her digital reflection – the art of conscious engagement, retraced footsteps, and curating a balanced diet of meaningful content that resonates with her interests. But in the ongoing worldly wade of digital rivers, will she really escape? Or scroll, scroll on…
According to Australian Broadcasting Corporation, her story is a reflection of modern-day myths and a voyage through the algorithm-conjured vignettes.