Y09W25WR How Algorithms Shape Online Life

Part 1

How to Write

Informative – Informative piece

An informative piece shares knowledge or experience on a topic with readers who need clear, practical understanding. It is written for an audience who expects the writer to know the subject and present it helpfully. The tone is knowledgeable, direct and accessible — not academic or detached.

  • Ideas & content: Choose what is most useful for your reader. If drawing on personal experience, focus on what is specific and real rather than general observations.
  • Structure & cohesion: Organise ideas into a clear flow — an opening that establishes the topic, a middle that develops it with specific detail, and a close that leaves the reader with something useful.
  • Voice & audience: Write as someone who genuinely knows this topic. Stay consistent in tone — confident but not preachy, clear but not simplistic.
  • Language choices: Use vocabulary that is precise without being unnecessarily formal. Write in the present tense for ongoing truths and anchor abstract ideas with specific examples.
  • Conventions: Spell key terms accurately. Use punctuation to control sentence rhythm — commas and full stops are your most useful tools.

Common pitfalls: Staying too general — specific detail is what makes an informative piece actually useful. Repeating the same point in different words rather than adding new information.

Part 2

Your Task Plan for Today

The brief

Question: Write a three-paragraph informative piece explaining what algorithms are, how they shape what people see online and what concerns this raises. Select the most relevant material from the notes, organise it clearly and write entirely in your own words. You will need to decide what to leave out.

Stimulus: The following notes have been gathered from various sources about how algorithms shape what people see online. They are unorganised and contain more information than you will need.

- An algorithm is a set of rules or instructions a computer follows to perform a task.

- Social media algorithms decide which content to show each user based on predicted engagement.

- Engagement signals include likes, shares, comments, time spent viewing and click-through rates.

- Platforms use algorithms to maximise time spent on the platform because more time means more advertising revenue.

- Recommendation algorithms on video platforms suggest content based on what similar users have watched.

- Filter bubbles occur when algorithms consistently show users content that matches their existing views, limiting exposure to different perspectives.

- Echo chambers can form when people only encounter ideas they already agree with.

- Algorithmic amplification means some content reaches far more people than its quality or accuracy would otherwise justify.

- Misinformation can spread rapidly if it generates strong emotional reactions, which are high engagement signals.

- Platforms have faced criticism for amplifying outrage because outrage keeps people scrolling.

- Some platforms have introduced changes to reduce the spread of harmful content but critics argue these changes are insufficient.

- Algorithmic transparency - publishing how algorithms work - is resisted by most platforms on commercial grounds.

- Regulators in several countries are examining whether algorithm design should be subject to legal oversight.

- Users can sometimes adjust their preferences but rarely have full control over what they are shown.

- Research suggests that people are often unaware of how much their online experience is shaped by algorithmic curation.

Task Analysis: This task asks you to explain something genuinely — not a textbook summary, but what it actually is or how it genuinely works. Your explanation should be clear, well-organised and accessible to readers who want to understand the topic in depth.

Quick Plan

Before you write, plan:

  • Your core explanation — what is the single most important thing readers need to understand?
  • 2–3 key points that build on each other logically
  • One specific example or case study that makes the explanation concrete
  • Your closing synthesis — what readers should take away?

Angle / controlling idea

Decide what aspect of this topic genuinely interests you. An effective explanation has a clear focus — it does not try to cover everything, but instead explains one aspect deeply and clearly.

Paragraph focus

Organise your explanation into clear paragraphs, each with a single idea. Each paragraph should build logically on the one before — readers should be able to follow your thinking step by step.

Evidence & examples

Use specific, concrete detail to make your explanation clear. If you are explaining a concept, give a worked example. If you are explaining a process, walk through the actual steps. Make the abstract concrete.

Key terms

If you use technical terms, define them clearly the first time you use them. Your readers may not have background knowledge — explain as if writing for someone intelligent but unfamiliar with the topic.

Tone & voice

Write as a clear, knowledgeable explainer — someone who understands the topic and can make it accessible. Avoid sounding like a textbook or talking down to readers. Be genuine and direct.

Ending strategy

Close by returning to your core idea and showing how all the pieces fit together. Your final paragraph should give readers a sense of completion — they understand what you were explaining and why it matters.