Why do social media platforms seem to encourage negative engagement?

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are built on business models that prioritize engagement and time spent on the platform, because that’s how they sell more ads. Their algorithms incentivize any kind of engagement – including negative comments and arguments – because it keeps people coming back and spending more time. When you reply to a troll, the platform notifies them, bringing them back to continue the thread. This creates a cycle that benefits the platform but harms your mental state and community. That’s why it’s critical to just delete and ban rather than engage.

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Asked by an artist trying to understand social media dynamics · Answered by Nick · art-marketing-podcast · 2020-09-10