Reviving the Forgotten Practice of Curating Your Feed

Rapid Summary

• Anthropologist Robin Dunbar suggests humans can maintain relationships with only about 150 people, a concept known as “Dunbar’s Number.” While debated, it highlights the limit of cognitive capacity regarding social connections.
• “The Great Unfollowing” is a suggested practice for periodically curating social media feeds by unfollowing accounts that no longer resonate or overwhelm timelines in reverse chronological feeds.
• Organizing followers into groups or using separate accounts based on interests can enhance user experience.
• For algorithmic-based platforms like TikTok and YouTube, users are encouraged to influence their feed by avoiding content they dislike and actively using tools such as “Not interested,” mute, or block buttons.
• Guides exist on resetting algorithms for platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to regain control over displayed content if adjustments fail.

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Indian Opinion Analysis

Social media plays an increasingly notable role in shaping public discourse and personal habits within India’s tech-savvy population. The proposed strategies-like actively pruning follow lists or resetting algorithms-hold relevance given India’s staggeringly diverse internet user base spanning various languages, cultures, and age groups.

Adapting these practices could enable individuals to build more meaningful digital interactions while navigating heavy data flows on prolific platforms used in India such as Instagram and YouTube.Furthermore, influencing algorithms deliberately may be particularly beneficial amidst debates over misinformation online-a concern frequently discussed within Indian civic circles.

As internet penetration grows rapidly across rural regions of the country due to smartphone affordability and digital initiatives (e.g.,digital India),encouraging digital literacy around managing curated content could empower users against data fatigue while supporting healthier consumption patterns nationwide.

Read more: How To Enjoy Social Media