
Back to the People with Nicole Shanahan How Social Media Algorithms Rewire Your Mind and Steal Your Peace, feat. Richard Ryan
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Oct 17, 2025 Richard Ryan, a software developer and co-founder of Black Rifle Coffee Company, reveals how social media algorithms manipulate our attention like casinos do with gamblers. He discusses his book, The Warrior's Garden, highlighting how bright visuals and unpredictable rewards keep us hooked. Ryan shares his personal screen-time reckoning and offers practical strategies, including setting boundaries and using hacks like grayscale screens to reduce consumption. He emphasizes the importance of community, purpose, and offline activities to reclaim our focus and well-being.
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Algorithms Optimize For Attention Not Users
- Social platforms optimize machine learning to maximize advertiser outcomes by selling user attention.
- Misaligned incentives lead to exploiting neurochemistry and longer watch time.
Negative Inputs Amplify Societal Fear
- Toxic digital inputs sustain fight-or-flight states and amplify polarization and anxiety.
- Repeated negative inputs reshape societal emotions and downstream behaviors.
Social Media Uses Casino Psychology
- Social media mimics casino design: variable rewards, lights, and sounds drive addiction.
- Unpredictable feedback loops (likes, views) sustain compulsive use.



