#algorithmic anxiety

[softlifesofttech]

002 Social Media's Silent, Yet Loud, Gaze

The previous discussion doesn’t necessarily account for people experiencing these effects on platforms where their connections are more personal. However, the surveillance dynamics within personal relationships are equally worthy of exploration. Social groups—family, friends, and others—are often forced to share a singular digital space, leading to context collapse. This collapse heightens anxiety as users navigate how they are perceived by multiple groups simultaneously, which can breed mistrust even within the closest of relationships. Particularly, users will analyse interactions on platforms like Instagram, where personal connections are more pronounced than on free-for-all platforms like Twitter. They may approach each interaction with excessive detail, falling into the trap of over-interpretation. For example, someone not responding to a comment or viewing a story without engaging might be perceived as a deliberate act. These ambiguous actions can easily manifest into darker thoughts if not counteracted. What users may not understand is that these actions might simply be a case of social overload or simply nothing. Such behaviours are so inconsequential to others that the outcome as stated is not even considered in the realm possibility. Yet, for the person overanalysing, these perceived slights can feel significant and deeply personal.

This tendency to overanalyse digital interactions is symptomatic of the broader challenges from social media. Platforms amplify even the most minor behaviours, making them feel significant in ways they aren't. This heightened sensitivity can distort our understanding of social dynamics, turning neutral or benign things into something larger. These interpretations then spiral, creating unnecessary tension in both digital and offline spaces. In a world mediated by digital platforms, the lines between connection, observation, and judgment have become marred. Social media has created a unique space where users must navigate an interplay of visibility, validation, and vulnerability. The resulting anxiety, paranoia, and mistrust can deeply impact how we view ourselves and our relationships. Recognising these dynamics so we can reclaim a healthier relationship with these platforms is key. Ultimately, the question we must ask is: How much of our digital anxiety is self-imposed, and how much is engineered by the platforms we use?

[hplonesomeart]

Hey!! So turns out a video I made between a certain “well beloved but highly sensitive/emotionally reactive T.V” and an “orange haired inkling-turned-human” has managed to sweep my YouTube channel and accumulate 100k VIEWS!! THAT’S A LOT OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY?? My most widely viewed video EVER to exist in this moment in time?? AAAAA?? Not even mentioning the various comments and staggering increase in subs! It’s so much more then what I expected or even prepared for—might even be the most impactful thing to happen for me this year <3

…aside from graduating high school + the social connections I’ve been fortunate to make lol

BUT THE POINT IS I’d been closely monitoring the YouTube growth through the entirety of October. It’s make me smile like a dork, gawk in astonishment, dance frantically in my room from the energy boosts, and grow courage to stop being so selective/self-conscious with what I wish to share with the world! It’s kept my ambitions going!

I needed to find some way to celebrate the occasion and express my thanks—because I can’t NOT acknowledge this milestone jksjskp. Typically I try to avoid getting tunnel visioned focusing on the metrics/numbers. Mr. Puzzles had already demonstrated how much those things can mess with the minds of creatives. Caring too much about chasing views or placing your artistic value in attention seeking gets damaging. But at same time…it’s hard to deny the sense of pride the 100k achievement has filled me with. I understand that reaching 100k views doesn’t immediately make me any “better” or “worse” then I was before. I’m still just me! It only helps me feel seen by others—and that’s all I really needed. To hear some nice words & receive reminders that my ideas are cared about. So thank you SMG4 fandom for that, seriously thank you.

Please accept this Mr. Puzzle drawing as a way of sharing the happiness around. He’s so entertaining. Love him for simply existing. So glad we can all collectively be super attached to him (and the rest of the SMG4 cast of course). Can’t wait to see more incredible artworks from the fandom :)

Just incase anyone is confused by my vague description over which “animated video” I’m referring to here—hopefully this photo will help clarify lol. It’s this one!! Sorry about not outright stating the title at the start, I got carried away with writing!!

I’ve been in an odd place mentally when thinking about it. Wondering to myself if any of the attention is deserved considering it’s not even fully colored and could be dismissed as “low effort” content (despite taking several days making it). It’s easy to get into a trap of comparing yourself to others and questioning how much of the videos success is based on your skills, sheer algorithm luck, or only because you used popular characters and catered to a specific fandom. And then judging yourself by looking at other peoples videos. I’ve seen several artists post higher quality works then my own but it somehow gets less views. So why did mine succeed when others (who should have gotten just as much attention if not more) didn’t? Sometimes you feel like you’ve unfairly robbed them of that chance to be seen. However I’ve realized that I can’t ever expect views to be consistent—and comparing is pointless. So why worry about it or feel inadequate? I mean it’s pretty common for funny cat videos to go viral, so who am I to question the system lol. “Popular” YouTube videos can range from a passion project which took 7+ artists…to a clip of Toad singing Chandelier or a nonsensical Vine sketch. Anything can happen when it’s the internet! And just-so-happened my video was chosen. I should stay glad about that and get rid of all the overanalyzing. So that’s what I’ve chosen to do :)

[francesderwent]

“People ask me this all the time, they’re like what’s it like to be male, and I say well I don’t know, because I am male. It’s not an object to me, floating out there, that I can observe…it doesn’t work like that because in my experience, I can’t abstract maleness into an object apart from subjectively living it, occupying it, being it….And this can appear in an age of vanity as a great crisis. Because it means that within me there is a detachment between who I am and my image that I just can’t heal. I want to consume my own image, and I can’t, and it’s frustrating. It’s like, how can I occupy this maleness when I can’t even describe it because I’m so intimately close to it, I am it, that I can never possibly buy it off a shelf or take it and do seven steps to become it. You see this in heterosexual behavior as much as homosexual as much as transgenderism, which is men trying desperately trying to push their masculinity out into a number of products that they can buy in order to confirm that they’re men. Which you wouldn’t even do unless it was some crisis within yourself, like you needed it to become distant so you could consume it again so you can have a life-image correspondence. It’s like, alright, I'm buying beard oil and I’ve got a truck….Within this, women can appear as an object of envy, because your sex, it seems from my perspective, is an object. It’s not something that I have saturated with myself. It’s not the thing that I’ve already eaten and now I’m looking for something else. It’s the thing I don’t have….The point is that when the woman appears, she appears as an object in a way that maleness to the male can never appear. And so she appears as a possible object of consumption, and in that as salvation. Because then everything that’s weird and subjective about gender in the woman appears to be solid, whole, and understandable. I can investigate it. It has parts, it wears these clothes, it tends to do this sort of thing, it has this kind of voice—all are things that are objects to me. Not what’s flowing out of me, not what’s happening whether I would or no, it’s something out there.”

—Marc Barnes, Gender in a Big Beige World, starting around 1:43:19

[idkneverthoughtofit]

While reading vent posts around here, I realized that being annoying is a major source of worry among users. Honestly, I’m concerned about that too, but I have a theory:

With the rise of the internet, short-form content, and the algorithm, we are constantly pleased with what we see. We expect to be pleased—it’s a kind of hedonistic cycle. I believe this expectation extends to real-life socializing, where we assume people should always be perfectly pleasant, while also seeking approval as universally enjoyable.

However, we all know that’s simply impossible (even if you try really hard). The result? A growing aversion to real-life interactions—since people aren’t carefully curated like their online counterparts—and an unprecedented anxiety about how we are perceived by others.

I’m not a psychologist, so don’t take my word for it. But if you’re passionate about this fascinating field, I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if not, still—please share your opinion.

[britneyshakespeare]

do you ever feel like an absolute creep just for looking at somebody's social media profile and not interacting at all and it's like you feel like they can see you scrolling and reading and thinking and if you make one wrong move they know everything

[yepthatsacowalright]

Esther once again articulating the the thoughts in my brain about humans and modern communication perfectly.

[amythystraine]

Algorithm Anxiety ~ Stop worrying about the algorithm

The internet has changed drastically over the last few years.  In the early days, it felt busy and exciting, and you felt very connected with all of these new people who suddenly appeared from all over the world.  We were all united on a journey within this fabulous new tool called the internet.  There was so much interaction.  It was so easy to promote your book, or your latest YouTube video, or posts on your social sites.  It was so easy to make new friends, to share experiences, to develop creative relationships.  It was FUN.

Then along came the algorithm.

Eveything changed.  The new world created within the internet felt like it was rapidly shrinking, it was being constricted.  Contact became more and more minimal, as though some invisible hand had come down to intervene between our connections.  It suddenly became taboo to talk about your new book, or a video, or a blog post, or a website.  They began calling it "self-promotion" and it was prohibited on more and more social media groups, social sites, and networks.  And then came the age of "paid promotion".  Give us your dollar and we'll spread your image and your opinions and your products and your services to a select few.

And always, lurking in the shadows was the algorithm, like some jealous and destructive aquaintance who wanted to confine your internet experience to your own computer.  We were cut off from all the people, and experiences, and social sites, and networks that we had enthusiastically built and cultivated and breathed to life.

This week I made a concious decision to stop worrying about the algorithm.  I have come to terms with the new reality of the internet and to understand that I cannot control it, but better yet, I will not allow it to control me.

I will write books because there is something I need to say, or proclaim, or reveal.  I will write books because I love writing, and I love holding the finished product in my hand, warmed by the sense of accomplishment.  I will continue to create videos because I derive pleasure in the process, and I derive satisfation at viewing the completed project.  I will continue blogging because my blog is as personal and dear to me as a physcial leather-bound, weathered, and tattered old journal.  I will step back from social sites and networks that feed me algorithmic posts and steal my time and attention.

I will stop worrying about the algorithm and enter the internet world on my own terms, in my own way, defining who I am, what I enjoy, and how I choose to interact with the world at large and people near and dear to me.  Within our blogs and videos and books and social connections, I will reclaim what I enjoy and love and watch and interact with.  

~ Amythyst

Algorithmic Anxiety is a real thing:

"Algorithm anxiety" refers to the feeling of unease or discomfort that arises from the perception that one's life or actions are being judged or controlled by opaque algorithms, often associated with online platforms where the decision-making process behind how content is presented or users are targeted is not fully understood by the individual; essentially, a fear of being negatively impacted by mysterious algorithmic systems.

Lack of transparency

A major contributor to algorithm anxiety is the lack of clarity regarding how algorithms operate, making it difficult to understand why certain outcomes occur.

Social Media impact

Many people experience this anxiety on platforms like Facebook or Instagram, worrying about how the algorithm might affect their visibility or engagement with their content.

Fear of control

The feeling that an algorithm is making decisions that significantly impact one's life, without their full understanding or agency, can lead to anxiety.

The Age of Algorithmic Anxiety by Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker

Do You Suffer from Algorithmic Anxiety? by Jay Clouse, LinkedIn

The Echoes of Algorithm and Anxiety  by Universiteit Leiden

[softlifesofttech]

001 Social Media's Silent, Yet Loud, Gaze

"I lied, y'all—delete your Instagram. Everybody on there is plotting, watching, and doesn’t like you. Start over."

Over the past few years, I’ve seen several iterations of this same tweet or sentiment. It got me thinking about whether there are any studies or phenomena that explore how social media contributes to anxiety and hyperawareness due to its borderline surveillance nature. This particular tweet might seem like a throwaway comment, but I think it speaks to larger issues that don’t yet have precise language to describe them. It captures a perfect intersection of social media anxiety, paranoia, and hyper-surveillance. Our digital platforms today almost act as courtyards, and by nature, environments where users feel constantly observed. Likes, comments, and views quantify this, making it feel all the more real and measurable. Whether these metrics tell the full story is a different matter entirely. Nonetheless, users exist in a heightened state of awareness regarding their audience. That audience watches, and a quiet part of our minds tells us that watching is inevitably followed by judgment. This dynamic fosters self-censorship, hyper-vigilance, and anxiety. For some, the mere idea of an audience that closely monitors behaviour can be a source of great stress.

If we want to circle back to theory, this phenomenon could loosely tie into the panopticon effect. In the panopticon model, prisoners in a courtyard are under constant observation from a central watchtower, whether or not guards are actively watching. Similarly, social media creates the feeling of being perpetually observed by an invisible audience, even if no one is engaging with you. Unlike the prisoner-guard relationship, however, this surveillance is two-way; users are both watchers and watched. They are an actor in the very same structure they repel. These dynamics seem to go unnoticed, or the self-absorption takes precedence, making the dots difficult to connect. The new age of Elon Musk’s Twitter (post-2022) exacerbates this phenomenon. The loss of a personal timeline, and by extension, the loss of key interactions one may have had previously, the introduction of a "For You" page filled with content antithetical to you (said to be intentional to boost engagement through discord), and the emergence of tiered experiences via premium features have fundamentally altered the platform’s social dynamics. What once felt like a communal courtyard now feels distant and fragmented, amplifying feelings of disconnection. This shift feeds into what can be termed algorithmic anxiety. Unaware to many who may be experiencing such, social media algorithms prioritise specific interactions, such as engagement driven by controversy or outrage. However, when more seemingly normal content is given centre stage, it can amplify feelings of exclusion for users. For instance, when users post content that receives fewer likes or interactions, they might interpret this as evidence of being disliked or ignored. Unlike the physical panopticon, where observation is implied, visibility on social media is explicit through notifications and engagement metrics. These tangible markers often lead users to draw conclusions—accurate or not—about their social standing. Furthermore, there isn't particularly a clear-cut way to drive content engagement or visibility, this unpredictability can intensify that feeling of being scrutinised. This can further stress users and erode trust in their digital relationships. This paranoia often spills into offline relationships that also occupy a digital space, such as friendships on social media. Research has shown that heightened social media use can lead to negative comparisons and damage to self-esteem. By comparing themselves to the curated, idealised lives of others, individuals may feel alienated for failing to fit predefined molds or expectations. This alienation can harm perceptions of their social relationships. Everyone yearns for connection, even in digital spaces, and the fear of exclusion can make users particularly sensitive. Some have reported sensing hostility or judgment from their online mutuals, even without concrete evidence to support these feelings. This ties into rumination and confirmation bias, where even ambiguous behaviours can become a point of contention. A 2020 study published in Psychiatry Research found a connection between social media use and paranoia. Increased usage, especially during periods of isolation, was associated with heightened feelings of persecution. This suggests that the surveillance-like nature of social media platforms, combined with their tendency to amplify insecurities, may play a significant role in these psychological effects.

[ceaselessims]

is it autistic to feel so heartbroken about the fact that someone said they don't want to hear about what you're interested and so you've already mentally decided to never talk about what you like in front of them ever again

[jumpyrope]

🇵🇸 🛑pleas don't scroll ‼️Hi, I hope you are well. My name is Mohammed Atallah, I live with my parents, six sisters, a little girl named Malak and a little boy named Ameer in North Gaza. I created this link to fund a bone graft in my left hand which was shot by an explosive bullet, to rebuild our destroyed home and to evacuate my family from Gaza to a safe place.And donate any amount to safe life .. I will appreciate your help❤️ Can you please help as much as you can . Press all buttons on my wall , I beg you to visit my page, view it, and donate via the link in the bio💔Donate and share widely 🆘🆘 Every euros will make a difference 🙏I urge you to donate. Even the smallest amount can make the biggest difference. Not only he needs to evacuate with his family, but he is in dire need for surgery! The IDF has shot his arm with an explosive bullet. Not a regular one. AN EXPLOSIVE ONE. So he needs to get it treated right away! Otherwise, he will get an infection and it may lead to amputation. WE DO NOT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN, DO WE DO?So contribute! Make sure to reblog and share his story if you are unable to do so.Help my family. War is devastating. There is nothing left to live. No schools, no universities, no home, and no dreams. All dreams have been shattered. I hope for help before it is too late Please share on Twitter and tumbler and Instagram The campaign has been documented @90-ghost 🍉

Looks legit to me, and I'd much rather support a scammer than shun a genuine person in need of help anyway. It hurts seeing how many posts like these there are, knowing that i can't help everyone.

But it's like the crabs on the beach story about the man tossing hundreds of crabs back into the water so they wouldn't die on land. There's too many crabs to save all of them, and someone asks him why he bothers when it doesn't make a difference. He tosses a crab into the water and replies, "it made a difference to that one."

I think we could all be a little more like that man in the story. Even a small difference is a difference.

[pixlpawz]

thank you for the love on my fursona forecast post🩷

[crossbackpoke-check]

when you get this ask could you perhaps maybe bless us with 5 of your fav songs (currently or of all time), and then send this ask to 5 of your mutuals who you think have good taste!

whipping out this old meme to say: sorry i’m basic and also have never once made a ‘favorites’ list without agonizing intensely 😭 so i narrowed it down to ‘favorite songs that have been used in hockey fancams’. HOWMSTEVER i also struggled with that. so. in no order are five songs shuffled from my fc songs playlist:

i cheated already i forgot we need to include anything hippo campus. yes i had to no i don’t even care which song (fc specific… bambi… semi-pro…) they’re my favorite band

sarah - alex g / astrid- glaive (*two songs but same vibes. it’s fine)

make out - julia nunes

junk of the heart (happy) - the kooks

pa’lante - hurray for the riffraff / thy mission - the garden (cheating again but these are both knox songs to me so they can be in one)

good old fashioned lover boy - queen

[xamaxenta]

Also i know its not a race and theres no rush but sometimes i wish i was a little faster at finishing art

[wickedzeevyln]

The Future Isn’t What It Used To Be

The film began with a black screen. A metal limb comes down like a hammer crushing a human skull, it almost got my brother and me leaping out of our seats. I remember the beating on my chest as the camera then faded in to reveal a post-apocalyptic wasteland littered with skulls, heaps of crackling fire, twisted metal, and hankering smoke and ash of a sky, sickly orange. This is the aftermath…

[queenmeve]

So many of my non-tumblr socials full of posts about people losing their pets or pics of dead animals that I’m considering just fucking deleting every single one of them

[bluemanticism]

CONFESSION I AM TERRIFIED OF TUMBLR