Affordances of Platforms that Support PLNs – Blog #4

What does technology bring to our attention, and what does it keep out of view? How might that shape what we learn from our PLN?

When scrolling through Instagram, I sometimes get stuck in a trance because of how easy and effective it is at keeping me entertained. Instagram is designed to encourage users to spend as much time on the app as possible (Livins, 2025). One way it does this is by making the app easy to use and navigate. This connects to Gaver’s idea of affordances, which explains how the features of technology allow or encourage certain actions (Burgess et al., 2018). For example, Instagram’s simple layout makes it easy to keep interacting with the app without really thinking about what I’m doing. While I’m paying attention to the content, I don’t always notice how the app influences what kind of content I see and how I spend my time.

Instagram is really good at learning what my interests are. Its algorithm recommends content based on things I have previously interacted with (Shah, 2025). If I search for a lasagna recipe one week, I’ll start seeing more reels and content related to food on my feed. This allows me to stay informed about topics I’m interested in without even realizing it. Beside showing me new recipes, I might also discover a food content creator who has similar tastes to me. I can follow them and even discuss new recipes with like-minded people in their comment sections. This means Instagram not only brings content related to my interests to my attention but also gives me opportunities to connect with people who share those interests, without me having to search for them myself.

However, because of the way Instagram is designed, it might rarely show me things outside of what I’ve already expressed interest in. This limits the new ideas, perspectives, and subjects I might come across. For example, if two people have a fight and it gets discussed online, but I only hear one person’s perspective, I might automatically blame the other person, especially if my algorithm keeps showing me opinions from people who agree with the first person. In reality, I’m missing the other person’s perspective, which could change my opinion about who is at fault.

When it comes to my professional learning network (PLN), both of these examples apply. Instagram makes it easy to discover new information and connect with people who share my interests, but it can also limit the perspectives I come across. By letting technology influence what comes to my attention, I might miss out on ideas and opinions that challenge my thinking. I think it’s important to be intentional about who I follow and to seek out different opinions instead of relying only on what the algorithm recommends.

References

Burgess, J., Marwick, A. E., & Poell, T. (2018). The Sage Handbook of Social Media. Sage.

Livins, T. (2025, September 27). How social media algorithms keep us scrolling. Medium. https://medium.com/@sirtonylivins/trapped-in-the-feed-how-social-media-algorithms-keep-us-scrolling-e9bb1228ea71

Shah, S. (2025, March 27). How the instagram algorithm works: Your 2025 guide. Buffer: All-You-Need Social Media Toolkit for Small Businesses. https://buffer.com/resources/instagram-algorithms/