Tactical Tech
A screenshot of the Toxic Trianlge experience showing three themes: Youth Sphere, Attention Machine and Marketplace

The Toxic Triangle

This experience engaged people in debate about the impact of social media algorithms and generative AI on young people, and the forces behind them.

WHY?
Have you ever wondered what children see on social media?
More than tools for us to stay connected, social media platforms promote content and accounts they deem relevant as a way to appeal to users’ interests and keep them online. Social media algorithms sort content based on what they decide is most interesting, drawing on our habits. Yet these largely unregulated systems are also governed by the economic interests of Big Tech.
As we place these digital tools in the hands of young people and debate their impacts in public and political discourse, this project takes a deep dive into the world of social media. It reveals the nature of unregulated online environments and shines a light on the cultural, generational, economic and technological drivers behind them.
WHAT?
The Toxic Triangle is an experience that invites viewers to witness social media algorithms, AI tools and the broader online landscape through the lens of a young person. This over-the-shoulder snapshot prompts rigorous discussion on the nature of the content and encourages debate on solutions to the systems that create it.
Available in various facilitated formats, the project invites civil society, journalists and policymakers to engage with and debate the complexities of digital ecosystems and how to keep young people safe.
METHODOLOGY
Over the course of one week, Tactical Tech observed three social media algorithms in action.
Using blank browsers, a VPN set to the UK, and newly created YouTube, TikTok and Instagram accounts set to a 13-year-old child, three researchers watched one hour of content per day for a week, reflecting TikTok’s recommended daily usage.
Divided into three potential teen categories of weight loss, sadness and children’s cartoons, the Toxic Triangle reveals the rapid spiral into disturbing content that emerges when following each platform’s “For You” section.
What is the Toxic Triangle?
When young people’s social spheres collide with attention-driven engineered systems, fuelled by a vast marketplace, they form a toxic triangle. Together they produce a self-reinforcing feedback loop that resists simple fixes.
Sessions and Presentations
We work with decision makers, civil society members and practitioners to create space for debate and engagement through:
  • Capacity building sessions
  • 30-minute snapshot experiences
  • Closed-door sessions
  • Half-day or full-day workshops