10:00 a.m:
On this Monday morning, I slept in after returning from a trip. When I woke up, I checked my phone for new notifications but found only a few texts and a Bible app notification, leaving nothing interesting to note about.

11:00 a.m:
After waking up, I found my niece and nephew watching Paw Patrol, which didn’t pique my interest. I checked my friends’ stories on Instagram and liked and commented on a few birthday posts. There were many birthdays today, suggesting that Instagram’s algorithm might boost the individuals whose stories and posts I interact with, as they will presume we are close, leading to more frequent interactions.

11:45 a.m:
After scrolling through Instagram, I came across a photo shared by Kylie Jenner of herself and her sister Kendall. I normally don’t like posts uploaded by celebrities (particularly them) since I don’t want to see more of their content on my page, but I did like this one. I can only think that more of Kylie and her Kardashian family will emerge on my FYP (for you page), and I may even see advertisements for their products. 

12:30 p.m:
I ordered summer clothing from PrettyLittleThing.com but was unhappy with some items. I filled out a return form and provided personal information to ship back unsatisfied items. I assume that the website shares information with other companies and records my fashion preferences for advertising on other websites or apps. I frequently see PrettyLittleThing advertising on Instagram, which encourages the algorithm to send more items to them. My experience highlights the potential for sharing information with other companies and influencing advertising on other platforms.

2:30 p.m:
After unpacking, I head to another favorite social platform app, TikTok, to see what’s going on with my FYP. I was constantly bombarded with workout videos, gym recommendations, and healthy food tips. My TikTok profile is filled with training videos and healthy food tips, indicating they are following my fitness journey. I saved and liked the videos, encouraging them to provide more content.

3:00 p.m:
I recently visited Savannah and took some photos, which I posted on Instagram and in my story. I believe the algorithm will suggest restaurants, companies, or accounts in Savannah. I don’t feel bad sharing the location, as I don’t reside in Savannah, so it can’t be traced back to my actual address. I expect to receive content about Savannah and other Georgia areas because of my post.

7:00 p.m:
After a day of family visits and pool time, I noticed an ad from the PrettyLittleThing app and saw a post on Instagram about Trump’s reaction to being found guilty of his charges. The account Saycheesetv posted that “Trump says he’s okay” with potentially facing jail time. I frequently read and interact with politics and current events on Instagram and TikTok.

9:00 p.m:
I have noticed a surge of posts on Instagram about Christianity and religion, possibly due to the algorithm monitoring my beliefs. I have also noticed accounts that I don’t follow discussing these topics, indicating a potential influence on my online interactions.

I reflected on my social media platforms, which are primarily focused on my interests, such as news, fashion, religion, healthy eating, and working out. I believe this is concerning, as companies have identified my preferences and confined my suggested content to a few of my interests. I plan to stop disclosing as much personal information to companies and make my interests and beliefs less evident for tracking purposes. I believe it is crucial to limit the amount of content I share on social media.