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Published on
Oct 14, 2026, 12:38 IST
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Find out how the algorithm has become the ultimate “if you know, you know” club, and why it might be messing with your squad goals
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Nobody told us that we’d end up feeling
less connected by something that’s literally called social media. And, no, this isn’t the old “content for your age bracket” situation. These days, the algorithm slices personalisation so fine that every one of us is basically living in our own mini-universe, all within the same internet. All growing in a very Black Mirror direction.There are a lot of micro-trends going on. They’re everywhere, and some of them skip your feed entirely. Imagine you’re chatting with a friend who is every bit as chill and fun as you are, and you drop a reference to the Ravi Kishan meme that spiralled into an actual video game (yes, Ravi Follows is real and, yes, it’s peak brain rot). All you get is a blank stare, because it never reached her feed. Suddenly you wonder whether you two even live in the same corners of the internet, or at least the same For You Page.
In case you wish to snoop (lovingly), Instagram’s Blend feature lets you peek at a friend’s mood of the day just by seeing which Reels they’ve been doomscrolling. Since the algorithm changes its mind more often than we do, it can’t be a foolproof way to find out who is watching what. And, if your friends have switched on activity visibility in their settings, you can also see what they’ve liked. But, babe, what is all this really adding?
The thing is, someone who doesn’t know what AI slop is, has missed a viral recipe, or blinks at your niche reference is not automatically not your person. Having to explain the origin story of every single meme doesn’t mean you’ve outgrown them. It might mean you get chances to become a fun personal meme historian for them.
That said, the lines are getting blurry. When you’re starting a bond with someone new, a shared digital slang or a shared digital protest might get you vibing with each other. But, with micro-trends multiplying, AI everywhere, and influencers getting more niche by the minute, we’re all going to miss a whole lot of what’s mainstream on everyone else’s feed and explore page.
The algorithm will keep deciding who knows what “6 7” means and who can name the “honourable” song references. The challenge will be to stay awake in the real world and not let someone’s feed define them. People are so much more than what they scroll.
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