Every major platform uses algorithms to decide what you see. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, even RSS readers like Feedly. Here is why that is a problem.
Algorithms Optimize for Platform Goals, Not Yours
You think algorithms show you better content.
Algorithms think they should keep you scrolling.
Those are different goals.
To maximize engagement, algorithms prioritize:
- Controversy - Gets comments and shares
- Emotional triggers - Anger and fear keep people engaged
- Trending content - What is viral right now
- Familiar ideas - Confirm what you already believe
They deprioritize:
- Nuance - Complex ideas do not drive clicks
- Long content - People skim, algorithms optimize for skimming
- Unfamiliar ideas - New perspectives might make you leave
You Are Not Seeing What You Chose
When you follow someone on Twitter, you expect to see their posts.
The algorithm decides:
- Which posts to show you
- When to show them
- How to sort them
- What to hide completely
You followed 100 people. The algorithm shows you 10.
You did not choose those 10. The algorithm did.
Chronological Feeds Force You to Think
In a chronological feed, YOU decide:
- What to read (not what an algorithm thinks will engage you)
- What to skip (you are allowed to scroll past things)
- What deserves full attention (you choose, not an engagement model)
This is harder. That is the point.
Algorithms make consumption passive. Chronological feeds make it active.
You Read Widely, Not Into Rabbit Holes
Algorithmic feeds create rabbit holes.
Watch one productivity video → entire feed becomes productivity content.
Click one political article → every post is political.
The algorithm assumes one click = permanent interest. It is wrong.
Chronological feeds give you variety by default:
- Essay on design
- Blog about parenting
- Video on woodworking
- Newsletter about AI
All in one feed. Because YOU chose to follow all of them.
The Best Ideas Are Not Always Engaging
Some of the best writing will never go viral:
- Too nuanced for hot takes
- Too long for quick scrolling
- Too unfamiliar to confirm biases
Algorithms bury this writing. Chronological feeds surface it - because you chose the writer.
If you only read what algorithms promote, you only read what performs in the engagement economy.
How to Escape Algorithmic Feeds
Step 1: Use RSS readers that do not sort Tools like any-feeds show everything in reverse-chronological order. No algorithm. No sorting.
Step 2: Subscribe to people, not platforms Follow writers on Substack, blogs, YouTube. Not Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. RSS cannot be algorithmic because there is no platform controlling it.
Step 3: Check once a day, not constantly Without algorithms pushing urgent content, you do not need to refresh every hour.
Step 4: Unsubscribe freely No algorithm means no sunk cost. Feed not valuable? Remove it. No guilt.
You Deserve to Think for Yourself
Algorithms decide what billions of people read every day.
That is too much power for engagement models designed by tech companies.
Chronological feeds are the alternative: you choose what to follow, you decide what to read, you control your attention.
Try it: any-feeds.com - no algorithms, just your subscriptions in order.