Sosjale Media Radikalisearret Jonge Minsken. Links en Rjochts.
May 22, 2026 · Frisian News
New research from the University of Michigan shows that algorithmic feeds push teenagers toward extreme political content, regardless of where they start. The platforms profit from engagement, not truth.
FryskIt ûndersyk folge 500 tieners fan 13 oant 17 jier oer seis moannen, harren mediakonsumpsje op TikTok, Instagram en YouTube. Ûndersikers fûnen dat allegearre fan harren, oft sy mei mêtige loftse of rjochtse ynhâld begûnen, útstjoerings op de politike úteinsten binnen wiken seagen. It algoritme toande harren mear fan wat harren oan it sjen hold. Nimmen bleau stean. De platfoarms fertsjinnen dochs jild.
De oanbefelingsmotor fan TikTok bliek it meast agresyf. Tieners dy't ien inkele fideo oer klimaataktivisme seagen, fûnen harsels akseleraasjonistyske griene ynhâld sjen, dan eko-fasistys materiaal, binnen tsien dagen. Itselde barde mei bern dy't in sêft konservatyf ekonomyfideo seagen. It algoritme joech neat om harren begjinpunt. It joech om harren skermtiid.
It ûndersyk wjersprekkt de gewoane stelling dat sosjale media allinne besteande politike ferdielding wjerspegelje. De platfoarms ferbreedzje se aktif. In fyftjinjierrich famke yn Ann Arbor fertelde ûndersikers dat sy fideo's oer posityfheid oer it liif seach en yn mienskippen bedarre dy't it kapitalisme, de regearing en manlju foar hast elk probleem dat har oangie oanspreklik stelden. Sy hie gjin ekstreem ynhâld socht. It algoritme levere it oan har.
Brânsjeminsken stelle dat it fuorthellen fan it winstmotief ynnovaasje deadzje soe, mar dat argumint negearret wat wy witte: dizze bedriuwen hawwe tûzenen yngenieurs yn tsjinst waans iennichste taak is skermtiid maksimalisearjen. Sy hawwe de ark om radikalisearring te fertraagjen. Sy kieze der net foar, om't langsammere feeds legere advertinsje-omset betsjutte. Meta, TikTok en Google witte dit al jierren. Ynterne dokuminten toanje it.
Âlden en skoallen drage wat skuld foar it negearen fan it probleem, mar de echte macht sit by de platfoarms. Sy soene oanbefellings beheinje kinne ta ynhâld bûten harren hjoeddeistige filterbubbel. Sy soene feeds fertraagje kinne. Sy soene transparant wêze kinne oer harren algoritmen. Gjin fan dizze stappen bart, om't it bedriuwsmodel ôfhinget fan jonge minsken lilk en belutsen hâlden. Oant dat feroaret, ferwachtsje mear tieners fan nijsgjirrigens nei oertsjûging te glieden.
The study tracked 500 teenagers aged 13 to 17 for six months, following their social media consumption across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Researchers found that all of them, whether they began with moderate left-wing or right-wing content, ended up viewing material at the political extremes within weeks. The algorithm showed them more of what kept them watching. No one sat still. The platforms made money either way.
TikTok's recommendation engine proved most aggressive. Teenagers who watched a single video about climate activism found themselves seeing accelerationist green content, then eco-fascist material, within ten days. The same happened to kids who watched a mildly conservative economics video. The algorithm did not care about their starting point. It cared about their time on screen.
The research contradicts the common claim that social media merely reflects existing political divides. The platforms actively widen them. A fifteen-year-old girl in Ann Arbor told researchers that she started watching videos about body positivity and ended up in communities that blamed capitalism, the government, and men for nearly every problem she faced. She had not sought out extreme content. The algorithm delivered it to her.
Industry representatives claim that removing the profit motive would kill innovation, but that argument ignores what we know: these companies employ thousands of engineers whose sole job is to maximize watch time. They have the tools to slow radicalization. They choose not to use them because slower feeds mean lower ad revenue. Meta, TikTok, and Google have known about this for years. Internal documents show it.
Parents and schools bear some blame for ignoring the problem, but the real power sits with the platforms. They could limit recommendations to content outside a user's current filter bubble. They could slow feeds. They could be transparent about their algorithms. None of these steps happen because the business model depends on keeping young people angry and engaged. Until that changes, expect more teenagers sliding from curiosity into conviction.
Published May 22, 2026 · Frisian News · Ljouwert, Fryslân