Nicola Leech

An unprovoked and horrific stabbing attack that killed a woman on a train. The last breath of a 13-year-old boy shot by a police officer who chased him down. A report on a powerful psychedelic drug that covers its lauded effects, but not the risks of serious psychiatric harm. These are just a few of the social media videos that stopped my scrolling in its tracks and compelled me to reach for the "report" button. All were rejected and deemed to be within the platform’s community guidelines.

Behind every swipe and second you spend on social media is a highly complex system trained to predict what will keep you watching, sharing and commenting just that little bit more. These ever-sophisticated algorithms dictate more than your battery life and attention span. They have been shaping public discourse, politics and identity and influencing our relationship with the world and one another.