What if your attention wasn’t really your own? In this episode of EscapePod, Charity and Karabeth uncover how algorithms quietly hijack our focus, emotions, and even beliefs. From endless scrolling to the rise of deep fakes, we dive into how AI-driven platforms shape what we see, how we feel, and what we believe—often without us realizing it.
But here’s the good news: you can fight back. We’ll share practical strategies for reclaiming your attention, protecting your mental health, and teaching yourself (and your family) the digital literacy skills needed to outsmart the algorithm.
Whether you’ve lost hours to dog videos, doomscrolling, or rage-clicking, this episode gives you the tools to escape algorithmic hijacking and take back control of your feed—and your brain.
Highlights Include:
- Algorithmic Hijacking Defined: AI-driven platforms curate your feed to trigger emotional reactions—fear, outrage, envy—to keep you scrolling.
- The Attention Economy: Our focus = their profit. Platforms earn billions while users pay with mental health, time, and trust.
- Mental Health Impact: Research links algorithm exposure to increases in anxiety, depression, poor sleep, stress, and polarization.
- The Deepfake Problem: Incidents jumped 19% in early 2025, leading to fraud, cyberbullying, and plummeting trust in media.
- Real-World Harm: Algorithms have played roles in radicalization and violent events, showing this isn’t just an “online problem.”
- Brain Science: Dopamine hits from scrolling mimic addiction patterns—rewiring focus, decision-making, and even impulse control.
- Teens & Social Media: 93–97% of teens are online daily, making them especially vulnerable to comparison culture, FOMO, and misinformation.
- Digital Self-Defense Tips:
- Pause before reacting.
- Check your sources.
- Curate your feed (unfollow/mute).
- Diversify your information diet.
- Practice emotional awareness.
- Try time limits, detox breaks, and mindful use.
Resources & Links
Social Media Algorithms and Mental Health
Social Media Algorithms and Teen Addiction
Social Media’s Impact on Our Mental Health
Mental Health America Issues New Report On Social Media And Youth Mental Health
The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health: What We Know — And What We’re Learning
Social Media, Mental Health and Body Image
Smartphones, Social Media, and Their Impact on Mental Health
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