The above elements form a measurement and feedback system designed to influence behavior. The process works like this: customized feeds are optimized to “engage” each user, often through emotionally charged cues, leading to addiction. People are often unaware they’re being manipulated. The primary goal is to keep users more engaged, spending increasing time on the platform, though other forms of manipulation are also tested. For instance, if you’re reading on a device, your behavior may be correlated with that of others. If someone with similar reading patterns made a purchase after seeing a specific pitch, you might get a similar one. Before an election, you could be targeted with posts proven to stir cynicism in people like you, aiming to reduce voter turnout. Bummer platforms have reported experiments in altering emotions, changing voter turnout, and boosting brand loyalty. In Bummer’s early days, such research was widely publicized. This digital approach to behavior modification treats all signals—emotions, happiness, and brand loyalty—as comparable data points for optimization.