5 Second Feed: Turning Social Media into Reflection
Reading a Feed Like a Mirror
Most high schoolers scroll through their social media feeds countless times a day. What if, instead of just consuming, they paused for a moment to look at a feed as a mirror? That’s the idea behind the Building Outside the Blocks (BOB) project 5 Second Feed.
The premise is simple. Students choose their preferred social media feed: Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X and select five items that showed up there most recently. These could be posts, ads, reels, stories, or suggested content.
They have the option to analyze either their own feed or the feed of someone who piques their interest, someone they admire, follow, or are curious about. This gives students a way to explore not only their own online identity but also the digital persona of another person or influencer. These options allows for everyone to have access to this project.
Then they dig deeper. For each of the five items, students analyze:
Why did this show up? (algorithm, interests, follows, ads, trending topics)
What does it say about you or them? (values, preferences, identity, connections)
How do those descriptors make you feel about yourself/that person? (proud, neutral, uncomfortable, surprised)
By reframing a feed as data rather than endless content, students begin to see how algorithms curate the online experience and how digital footprints shape what we see. They also get to go on a journey into their own social media personas or that of another.
The dive can begin with the feed but go even deeper. Students can explore what their feed reveals about the topics, hobbies, and communities they’re drawn to or engage with. They can notice the causes, issues, and viewpoints reflected in the content they like or follow. They can examine their social circles — who they follow, interact with, or admire online — and how they present those relationships. They might identify cultural references, style choices, humour, language, aesthetics, or other identity signals that hint at how they see themselves.
Students can also analyze the tone of the content, whether it feels upbeat, anxious, aspirational, sarcastic, and so on, which can mirror their mood or mindset. Ads and suggested products may reveal spending patterns or aspirations, providing a window into consumer habits. By questioning what the platform thinks they want to see, students can surface unconscious patterns of behaviour or bias in their algorithmic footprint.
If they choose to analyze someone else’s feed, they can explore what that person might be aspiring toward or curious about. In this way, the 5 Second Feed BOB project can be either a starting point or a culminating activity in a larger study that reaches beyond digital literacy to touch on identity, culture, and critical thinking skills development. I would love to add this as a task to either launch or culminate a unit titled You and The Algorithm or Understanding Your Digital Identity: A Deep Dive into Algorithms and Footprints.
Why this works as a BOB project.
Delivered over time and on student-selected dates, 5 Second Feed becomes more than a one-off assignment. Students can revisit feeds weeks apart to notice changes, patterns, and shifting perceptions. The project encourages critical thinking about digital media, self-awareness, and agency in shaping one’s online identity.
Key benefits:
Builds media literacy and algorithm awareness
Promotes self-reflection and identity exploration
Encourages thoughtful, student-driven presentation of findings
Turns a familiar habit—scrolling—into a tool for learning
In just a few minutes of scrolling and reflecting, students gain insights that can last far longer than five seconds. They can looks through various lenses in their analysis to: sentiment, content, audience, competitor, and even engagement. 5 Second Feed helps them pause, reflect, and take ownership of online worlds, one post at a time.
Image above from https://landingi.com/social-media-marketing/analysis/