In 2016, Facebook added “reactions” to posts, so that viewers could respond with a range of emoticons rather than just the Like button. Posts that received many emoticon reactions got more promotion. But that change backfired, too, when incendiary content—posts that received many angry-face reactions, for example, like rage-inducing political stories—was getting too much promotion and souring the tone of the entire site. That they attracted more engagement didn’t mean the posts were necessarily more worthwhile.
