This is a “radicalization” funnel. I started off not knowing much about a subject—not even what it was called! From there, I learned a few search terms, which got me channeled into a specific area (just as searches for “flat Earth evidence” and “flat Earth conspiracy” steer you into different online communities). The engagement-maximizing algorithm has learned from those who came before me that many people can be lured into longer online sessions if they are presented with a list of specific subtopics branching off the general topic they’ve landed on.
