Inside the Feed: How Algorithms Shape What We See

Time: 60-90 minutes
This lesson introduces students to the powerful role algorithms play in shaping the information they encounter online, particularly within social media environments. Through a combination of brief readings, media clips, data visualization analysis, and guided reflection activities, students examine how algorithmic systems curate content to maximize engagement, amplify polarization, and contribute to misinformation circulation. The lesson connects these mechanisms to broader themes of bias, the “new digital divide,” and digital agency, emphasizing that algorithmic systems reflect human values, business models, and structural inequities rather than neutral technological processes. Students critically explore how awareness of these systems can influence personal behavior and civic participation, while also engaging with questions about transparency, regulation, and individual responsibility. By the end of the lesson, learners develop a more nuanced understanding of how algorithms affect attention, belief formation, and public discourse—and how emerging forms of algorithmic literacy can help individuals navigate, question, and respond to their digital environments more thoughtfully.