What they are "meant" to do is increase engagement metrics. If the recommender is smart enough, the content diverse enough, and the userbase big enough, the re

What they are "meant" to do is increase engagement metrics. If the recommender is smart enough, the content diverse enough, and the userbase big enough, the recommender will learn how to exert psychological influence over the user as a means to increase engagement metrics. None of this is exactly deliberate, it's just that the recommender will figure out that if you can get someone angry about something, or entranced by some conspiracy, they're going to be very engaged. The problem is, going to a social media site with a specific intention, it's an attentional battle. They are going to show you the most entrancing thing they can come up with above the fold. For example, on youtube.com, you can choose to some degree what sections are shown, but the unconfigurable recommender is always at the top and cannot be moved. "Saved for later" is always a couple of screenfuls down no matter what you do. This is hostile technology. YouTube is not made to be a tool for you to use. It's made so that you're a tool for it to use. It pokes and prods at you with its recommendations to serve its own interests. It does not care at all about yours as long as it doesn't piss you off so much that you stop going there.