Change your algorithm, change your life

We architect our own digital lives. Let’s build them with intention and care.

~ Unknown

To ensure survival, humans have a natural negativity bias, an evolutionary tendency to prioritize threatening or negative information.

For decades, newsrooms have operated under the premise that if it bleeds, it leads.  

Modern media and social media algorithms aggressively exploit this negativity bias.

An algorithm is a set of step-by-step instructions for solving a problem or completing a task.

In computing, algorithms can "learn" our patterns (what we search and click on) and our emotional tone.

To keep us scrolling, the algorithm identifies our pain points and reaffirms our beliefs, no matter how misguided.

Sometimes to improve the quality of our lives, we have to change our algorithm.

By curating our digital and real-world inputs, we can retrain our brain’s attention patterns to improve mental health and promote personal growth.

Positive inputs build resilience through neuroplasticity - the brain's ability to learn and adapt.

To apply this, experts recommend we reset our social media feeds by using platform-specific tools like Instagram’s "Your Algorithm" feature or TikTok’s "Refresh Your For You Feed" to clear previous training data.

Auditing our inputs by muting keywords, unfollowing draining accounts, and intentionally searching for content that aligns with our desired mindset, such as humour, creativity, or positivity, helps too.

Beyond digital spaces, the concept extends to curating our "reality algorithm" by changing our physical environment, social circles, and habits.

Surrounding ourselves with people who model the behaviours we aspire to adopt, reading uplifting books, and limiting doom-scrolling helps shift our internal landscape, proving that what we feed our attention shapes who we become.