Your feed isn’t random. So, how is it built? A student resource from NAMLE’s Youth Advisory Council
Ever wonder why you keep seeing the same kinds of videos? Why your friend’s feed looks completely different from yours? Or why certain posts seem to show up again and again? Your online experience is shaped by more than what you choose to click on. Your behavior, the data platforms collect, and the algorithms they use all play a role in determining what appears in your feed.
The Feed Effect: How Your Online World Is Built for You is a youth-led campaign from NAMLE’s Youth Advisory Council. Through student-created resources, interviews, blog posts, and interactive learning experiences, the campaign explores how personalized feeds work and how they can shape the information and perspectives we encounter online. The goal is to help young people ask better questions about their feeds, recognize how online information is filtered, and make more informed choices about the media they consume and share.
Explore the Campaign
Read student blogs
How does your online activity shape what you see? Why do platforms collect data? And what do algorithms prioritize? Explore blog posts written by YAC members as they unpack the connections between online behavior, data, algorithms, and personalized feeds.
explore the zine
This student-created zine uses a playful diner-inspired theme to explore the ingredients that shape your media diet, from personalized recommendations and emotional content to sponsored posts and clickbait.
Hear from jena wuu: Trust, Technology, and the Information We See
In this conversation, Jena Wuu, a former Meta employee and current NAMLE Board member, shares insights from her work at the intersection of technology, information, and public trust.
Bringing The Feed Effect to the Classroom
During the 12th annual U.S. Media Literacy Week, NAMLE’s Youth Advisory Council will lead a special virtual classroom experience for one selected high school classroom. Through interactive activities and student-led discussions, students will explore the ideas behind The Feed Effect and practice asking critical questions about the media they encounter.
Youth Council Member Contributions
Blogs: Anshi, Maggie, Flora and Pranav
Interview: Lucia, and Evalyn
Zine: Katie and Sophie
Event: Anxhelika and Sadie