Watch Out: YouTube Algorithms Control What You See

You know how YouTube suggests videos? The smart algorithms behind them can make things feel repetitive, showing you similar stuff over and over. Scientists tested a method to change this, using fake accounts and real users over a month. They played news clips from balanced sources in the background. Surprisingly, this made users watch more news and see less biased recommendations, especially for those who lean conservative. Yet, users' initial preferences didn't have as big an impact as the algorithm's suggestions. Trying to get users to watch news directly didn't work as well. Even though people watched more news, it didn't greatly affect their political involvement or understanding. The best news? This trick didn't make users less engaged with YouTube. So, what's the deal? These recommendation algorithms have a huge influence on what we see online.