Like most algorithms you just have to be diligent to not step on any landmines. If you avoid the garbage you generally won't get more of it served to you.
Adding on to this when I use youtube I at least make sure to delete the history of videos that I don't want being recommended to me in my youtube algo. Like let's say I click on some random dumb fight video I'll make sure to delete that from my history so youtube doesn't recommend that stuff. Also, I like to watch archeology and ancient history stuff but youtube algo kind of sucks and it will start pushing more and more fringe/conspiracy/bs/ancient aliens garbage if you aren't careful. So you have to make sure to let it know to not recommend that channel and to delete it from the search history. Beyond that youtube is going down a shitty path where it is demonitizing some of the very large history channels that I will watch if they produce videos on topics that are too violent or too "controversial" aka mildly upsetting. They've started producing content now for other paid streaming sites like nebula or curiosity stream or whatever. I've noticed one of the hosts has actually taken the steps to segregate out his content across multiple channels and he seems to be doing alright with it. Google has gone to **** with their heavy handed regulation and monitization of search results as well. They do it "in our best interests" but they've created a garbage, heavily manipulated product with zero alternatives. Sometimes I will use Yandex just to compare the results from Google versus Yandex. Speaking to the medical stuff you bring up it's kind of ridiculous that doing research on your own has any sort of loaded connotation to it. You simply have to do your own work when dealing with anything medical. Certainly some people are more capable than others (to put it nicely lol). However, it is kind of imperative to do your own research after my years and years of terrible experiences with doctors and the extreme monitization of the medical field and pharma.
Ya nebula is pushed a lot now by youtubers. I also go back and delete random videos I watch on youtube so i don't get 100 videos suggested later.
What's not mentioned yet is that people were once allowed to waste time and forget stupid things they did as long as someone wasn't hurt from it. I like the mention about differences of when we're "logged in" vs being "logged out." We're all people figuring out life and what it means to live in a crowded society among other people rather than living inside a jungle grooming each others bugs on top of tree branches. Lofty ideals or book heavy philosophies might elevate us above the animal kingdom, but it's not like we evolved out of all the stinky bits. Having or saying dark thoughts doesn't necessarily mean we're a label or category for that thought. Because the internet never forgets, I imagine even if 99% of our comments were good/positive, the 1% will still build up in the comments section over time and reflect the worst of our collective consciousness. In the digital space, we eat exactly where we ****, and solving that problem springs other major issues. As creatures of convenience, the algo chooses the breezier topics vs stories or events we'd rather not deal with daily. An open society could mean facts are still there, but billing the digital "metaverse" as an alternate reality has to go. We weren't made for this ****. We can pretend it's okay to be wired 24/7, but it definitely changes your mind/body towards a life that will ultimately feel less fulfilling. Maybe we're better off having robots rule the internet. Keep them preoccupied there rather than controlling murderbots in the meatspace.
