Name: The Algorithm is Watching You: How Platforms Quietly Shape What We See
Start: 2026-04-14T19:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-04-14T21:00:00-04:00
Location: Mighty Squirrel Taproom & Kitchen

The Algorithm is Watching You: How Platforms Quietly Shape What We See

Media scholar Dr. Nora Suren breaks down how social media algorithms work — who they amplify, who they bury, and how they shape what we see.
About this Event

Why do some posts go viral while others disappear into the void? A digital media scholar on how algorithms quietly shape what we see online.

Join us and grab a drink as Dr. Nora Suren explores the hidden forces shaping your social media feed.

Welcome to Binge Thinking! We host professors at local pubs to give talks on fascinating topics.

Topic: The Algorithm Is Watching You: How Platforms Quietly Shape What We See
Speaker: Dr. Nora Suren (Northeastern University, Communication & Digital Media)

Your social media feed feels personal.

It feels like it knows what you want.

But behind the scenes, complex recommendation systems are constantly deciding what to show you — and what to hide.

These algorithms don’t just sort content. They shape culture, amplify certain voices, and quietly push others to the margins.

Dr. Nora Suren studies how social media platforms influence the way ideas spread online — and how creators navigate systems that often work against them.

Her research examines the lived experiences of digital creators operating under algorithmic pressure, drawing on interviews, digital ethnography, and platform analysis.

In this talk, Dr. Suren will explore:

• Why social media feeds feel personal — and why that feeling can be misleading
• How recommendation algorithms privilege some voices while marginalizing others
• What creators have learned about gaming (and surviving) the algorithm
• How everyday users can recognize and resist algorithmic influence

Before entering academia, Dr. Suren worked in the advertising industry managing digital campaigns and influencer partnerships — giving her a rare inside perspective on how platforms, brands, and creators interact.

She received her PhD in Communication from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was a Visiting Scholar at MIT, where her research examined how marginalized creators navigate algorithmic bias and political pressure online.

If you’ve ever wondered why certain ideas dominate your feed — and what that means for how we understand the world — this talk is for you.

Agenda

7:00 PM – Doors open: find a seat and order some drinks.

7:30 PM – Host introduction

7:35 PM – Lecture begins

8:15 PM – Audience Q&A

8:30–9:00 PM – Mingle: feel free to chat with the speaker and fellow guests. Grab a final round of drinks!