Awake in the Scroll: Seeing Through the Social Media Game

Awake in the Scroll: Seeing Through the Social Media Game

Social media once promised connection and creativity—but somewhere along the way, it turned into a numbers game. Today, likes, comments, and views aren’t just vanity—they’re currency. But in the race for engagement, something deeply troubling is happening: the algorithm isn’t rewarding truth, value, or goodness. It’s rewarding noise.

When Controversy Pays More Than Creativity:
Scroll through your feed and count how many posts are designed to provoke rather than inform. While a few creators still share thoughtful or creative content, their reach is dwindling. What thrives instead are hot takes, polarizing opinions, and outrage bait—because these get the most engagement.
Negative content spreads faster. Why? Because it triggers a reaction. You get offended, you comment. You share it to “set the record straight.” In doing so, you unknowingly boost that post’s reach—even if you disagree with it.
Meanwhile, positive, calm, or sane content often gets a silent scroll. Maybe a like, if the reader remembers. But rarely a comment. The algorithm interprets that silence as disinterest.

How the Algorithm Alters Perception:

This is where the real danger lies. When a controversial opinion gets enough engagement, it starts looking credible. People begin to think, “So many likes and comments… maybe there’s something to this.” And just like that, the lines between what’s popular and what’s true start to blur.
In time, people—especially younger, impressionable minds—begin reshaping their beliefs around what the algorithm pushes. Not because it’s right, but because it’s everywhere. It feels accepted. Safe. Normal.

Why Are People Doing This?

Because engagement equals influence, and influence brings money. Brand deals, monetization, social validation—all hinge on numbers. And manipulating those numbers by provoking reactions is often easier than producing genuine value.
Some people know exactly what they’re doing. They post misleading or extreme opinions just to get a rise. It works. But it leaves society more divided, anxious, and misinformed.

Conclusion:

It’s time to wake up to this trap. The best way to shut down manipulative or misleading content isn’t to argue with it. It’s to ignore it. Starve it of engagement. Don’t share it. Don’t comment. Don’t even linger.
Let your attention be a vote. Give it only to content that uplifts, informs, or inspires. Because in the end, what we engage with is what we amplify.
And if enough of us start choosing differently, maybe—just maybe—social media can return to something better.