Communications expert Ed Coper argues that social media algorithms can drive users toward “toxic emotion,” encouraging engagement by tailoring content to individual reactions. The three outlets summarise Coper’s new book with a similar premise: that the design and operation of algorithmic feeds help determine what emotions are surfaced repeatedly, potentially reinforcing harmful or negative affect over time. Each account presents Coper’s core claim that people can become “hooked” when platforms learn what keeps them clicking, watching or scrolling, and then continue supplying content likely to sustain those emotional responses.
While the outlets align on the overall argument, they differ mainly in emphasis. All three suggest that Coper’s proposed solutions and remedies may be more optimistic than what many users can realistically achieve, given the scale and sophistication of algorithmic systems. Overall, the coverage focuses on Coper’s contention that algorithmic curation influences emotional experience daily, while noting that practical fixes for users are not straightforward.
