But the model of friending and following put a cap on engagement. It’s hard to remember now, but there was a time when you could reach the end of your Facebook and Instagram feeds – our friends only had so many lunches to post. Platforms needed to find ways to keep us logged in. Instagram introduced “suggested posts” from accounts users didn’t follow. TikTok took this logic further: just sign up and start swiping, no need to friend or follow anyone. Creators with small social networks could go viral just by posting engaging content, and everyone could lose themselves in an infinite stream of shortform videos. Copycats such as Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts crowded into this new market. Over on X, Elon Musk reinstated far-right accounts and turned the “for you” feed into a home for racism and hate speech.