💬Open Tabs: Meta is leaning into customizable algorithms but who is it serving?

Thank you to everyone who tuned into Wednesday’s Open Tabs conversation on Substack Live!This will be our last Open Tabs conversation of 2025, but we’ll be back in the New Year with a live conversation on Wednesday, 1/7/26. In the meantime, here are the topics we covered this week:* Meta is giving us control of our algorithms [00:38]. New features like Instagram’s “Your Algorithm” for Reels and Threads’ “Dear Algo” posts allow users to directly signal what content they want to see more or less of* Our POV: This feels like Meta responding to long-standing backlash around feed relevance [remember the “Make Instagram Instagram Again” movement from a couple years ago?], but the execution is clunky. Users want personalization to be effortless, not something that requires manual inputs or public declarations. TikTok has set the bar by making algorithmic tuning feel invisible and intuitive. Unless Meta integrates these tools more seamlessly—and reduces friction between Instagram and Threads—this risks feeling like control in theory, not in practice.* Companies are desperate to hire storytellers [19:46]. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, LinkedIn job postings mentioning “storyteller” doubled in 2025—reflecting brands’ push to translate data, culture, and products into shareable stories.* Our POV: Brands and executives are starting to realize that value is created through narrative, not just messaging. However, we feel like the “storyteller” risks becoming a catch-all for bundled roles. As audiences grow more fluent and AI content floods feeds, brands that invest in clear narrative ownership, in-house creators, and executive voices will stand out—those that simply rename existing roles will not.* Australia just became the first country to ban children under the age of 16 from social media [31:27]. Platforms affected include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Snapchat, Threads, Twitch, YouTube, Kick, and Reddit. While the move aims to protect kids online, enforcement challenges remain—teens have started bypassing the age restrictions using parents’ info, older friends, or even AI.* Our POV: One of the more interesting developments is that Reddit is now suing Australia, claiming that they’re not a social media platform because users are largely anonymous. While we love Reddit, we think it’s definitely a social media platform. * What we want to leave in 2025 [39:00]. We discuss what we each want to leave behind in the digital and creative space as we head into 2026. Highlights include calling everything “performative,” being more concise, and nostalgia marketing. Let us know what you want to leave in 2025 in the comments or a reply ⬇️Thanks for listening! 🎧 🤍 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mtdeco.substack.com/subscribe