How social media algorithms actually work, explained in plain language.
YouTube optimizes for total watch time across the platform, not individual video views — which changes what actually gets a channel recommended.
August 29, 2026TikTok's For You Page doesn't care how many followers you have — every video gets tested fresh against a small, unbiased audience first.
August 22, 2026Instagram doesn't use one algorithm — it runs a separate ranking model for the main feed, Explore, and Reels, each optimizing for a different signal.
August 15, 2026