Does a Recommendation Feed Narrow What You See?
The research question
Over time, does an AI recommendation feed show a wider range of content, or a narrower one?
Abstract
I started fresh accounts, engaged with a few topics, and tracked recommendation variety over a week. The feeds narrowed toward the first topics I engaged with.
Background
Recommendation systems learn what you click. There is concern they create 'filter bubbles' that narrow what people see.
What I did
On three fresh accounts I engaged with one topic each, then logged the variety of recommendations every day for a week.
What I found
Each feed grew steadily more focused on its starting topic. Unrelated content nearly disappeared by day five.
What's next
I would test whether deliberately clicking varied content can re-widen a narrowed feed.
Takeaway
Recommendation AI optimises for engagement, and a side effect is a narrowing view — worth noticing in your own feeds.