What you're seeing
A content ecosystem. Each dot is a piece of content. The x-axis shows quality, y-axis shows sensationalism. Bigger/brighter dots get more clicks. Watch the population drift as the algorithm reshapes what gets made.
How to read the graph
The scatter plot shows where content lives in quality-vs-sensationalism space. Over time, dots cluster toward high-sensationalism as creators adapt. The bottom chart tracks average quality (green declining), sensationalism (red rising), and content diversity (blue declining).
The key lesson
Algorithms that optimize for engagement don't just reflect what people want — they reshape what gets created. Creators follow incentives. Audiences adapt to what they see. The feedback loop drives the entire ecosystem toward engagement-maximizing content, regardless of quality. This is how platforms reshape culture.