This Monday, Shackleton ESU dived into the digital world with an engaging Social Media Evening, giving our Explorers the chance to learn more about how the platforms they use every day really work behind the scenes.
To kick things off, we explored how social media companies make money, looking at advertising, targeted content, and the algorithms that match posts to users. The Explorers discussed why certain videos, memes or ads appear in their feeds and how platforms keep people scrolling. It was a great opportunity to think critically about the digital environments we’re all part of.
To bring these ideas to life, we launched into a fast-paced game where Explorers became content creators, producing posts and competing to earn the most money. Meanwhile, the leaders took on the role of “users,” each with their own interests and profiles. Content was “matched” to them based on relevance sometimes cleverly, sometimes chaotically showing just how complex (and imperfect!) real algorithms can be. The room was full of creativity, strategy and plenty of laughter as Explorers tried to outsmart the system.
We ended the evening on a high note by investing two new members into the unit.
