There are a few potential reasons why you may be seeing the same person repeatedly suggested to you as a friend on social media. The most common causes include having mutual friends or connections, being part of the same networks or groups, having similar interests or demographics, inadvertent algorithm bias, and sometimes just random chance. Let’s explore these factors in more detail:
You Have Mutual Connections
Social media platforms want to connect you with people you may know or share connections with. If you and another person have several friends or connections in common, the platform may assume you also know each other and should connect. For example, if you went to the same school or workplace, or have 20 mutual friends, the platform thinks you likely know that person and keeps suggesting them. The more mutual connections you share, the more likely you’ll keep seeing that suggestion.
You’re Part of the Same Networks
If you’re both members of the same social groups, organizations, or communities on a platform, it will persistently suggest you connect. This could include regional, school, workplace, interest-based, or other public or private groups you have in common. The platform figures you may know each other or want to connect based on your shared affiliations or memberships.
You Have Similar Interests or Demographics
Many social platforms try to connect people with similar interests, hobbies, locations, backgrounds, ages, education levels, or other demographic traits. For example, if you’re both into photography and live in the same city, it may keep suggesting you become friends based on your common interests and location. The more overlapping interests and demographics you share, the more likely the platform will view you as a good suggested connection.
Inadvertent Algorithm Bias
In some cases, a social platform’s suggestion algorithm may develop a bias where it keeps recommending the same people over and over. This could happen if you and the suggested person coincidentally clicked on or engaged with each other’s content early on, signaling to the algorithm that you should connect. Or the platform’s coding may have a glitch that causes certain accounts to be suggested more frequently. The system then gets stuck in a loop recommending the same potential friends repeatedly.
Random Chance
With social platforms having millions of users, in some cases it could just be random chance that you keep seeing the same suggestion. When the platform is sifting through and analyzing huge volumes of data to generate recommendations, some coincidental anomalies like repeat suggestions can occur for no discernible reason. It’s just an odd quirk of automated systems occassionally making unlikely recommendations.
Why Does This Happen?
There are a few core reasons why social platforms recommend the same potential connections repeatedly:
1. Maximize Relevant Suggestions
Social media platforms are designed to connect people who may know each other or want to connect. In order to generate the most relevant suggestions, their algorithms look for overlapping connections, networks, interests, and other signals two people may have a relationship. The more signals in common, the more likely you’ll be suggested repeatedly.
2. Increase Engagement
Social networks want to keep you engaged on their platforms for as long as possible. By recommending connections you’re likely to know or share interests with, you’re more likely to send a friend request, join a group, or interact with that person. This increases engagement and time spent on the platform.
3. Refine the Algorithm
The friend suggestion algorithm uses your engagement with suggestions to further refine and improve its recommendations. If you ignore or dismiss a suggestion repeatedly, it will stop showing that person. If you connect with a suggestion, it assumes you want more recommendations based on that person’s shared traits and connections.
4. Advertising Purposes
In some cases, persistently recommended accounts may be related to sponsored ads or suggestions. The platform wants you to connect with those accounts in order to increase visibility and engagement for advertising purposes.
How Social Media Friend Suggestions Work
Here is a quick overview of how friend recommendation systems work on most social platforms:
– Gather Massive Amounts of User Data
Platforms are constantly collecting data on their users including connections, interactions, demographics, interests, groups, location, and more. This data is used to assess potential connections between different users.
– Analyze Data to Find Links and Patterns
Powerful algorithms analyze this data using machine learning and AI to identify relationships, similarities, and patterns that may indicate two people know or should know each other.
– Generate Suggestions Based on Findings
Based on the algorithm’s findings, it suggests potential friend or connection requests to the user, ranking the most likely or relevant suggestions higher up.
– Receive User Feedback on Suggestions
User engagement with the suggestions (accepting, ignoring, dismissing etc) provides feedback to the system to further refine the relevance of future suggestions.
– Continuously Improve Algorithm
The friend suggestion system uses machine learning to analyze feedback data to continuously optimize and improve the relevance of suggestions it generates.
How to Manage Unwanted Friend Recommendations
If you’re seeing an unwanted suggested friend repeatedly, here are some ways to manage or stop the recommendations:
Remove or Block the Person
Most platforms allow you to directly remove or block a suggestion to prevent them being recommended again. This gives explicit feedback to the system.
Limit Ad Tracking
Opt out of ad tracking and interest-based ads which influence some recommendations.
Make Profile Private
Making your profile and connections private reduces data the system can use to link you with others.
Remove Mutual Connections
Unfriend or disconnect from any shared connections linking you to the unwanted suggestion.
Leave Shared Groups or Networks
Exiting overlapping memberships and affiliations can reduce unwanted recommendations.
Adjust Ad Preferences
Edit your ad interests and demographics so fewer unwanted ads or sponsored suggestions appear.
Provide Platform Feedback
Utilize any platform tools to report or submit feedback about inappropriate or unwanted suggestions.
Temporarily Pause Suggestions
Some platforms allow you to take a break and temporarily stop receiving recommendations.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about persistent friend suggestions:
Why do I keep seeing my coworkers suggested, even though we’re not connected?
The platform likely identifies you work at the same company or location and thinks you may want to connect because of your professional relationship.
Can I get in trouble if I block or report an unwanted suggestion?
No, blocking or reporting is intended to provide feedback so you won’t be penalized. But false reporting could get your account suspended.
Does liking or commenting on someone’s posts lead to more friend suggestions of their connections?
Yes, engaging with someone’s profile and connections provides implicit feedback suggesting you may know and want to connect with them as well.
Can I request to see less friend recommendations in general?
Yes, most platforms allow you to mute or turn off friend suggestions in your settings if you don’t want to see them.
What causes the algorithm to start recommending random strangers I’ve never met?
This can happen when you join public groups featuring people outside your network. It assumes group members may be relevant suggestions.
Summary
In summary, friend suggestions are intended to help you connect with people you may know and want to engage with. But sometimes the algorithms get it wrong, especially when limited data is available. Utilizing platform tools to dismiss or report unwanted suggestions can improve relevance over time. And adjusting privacy settings, connections, and profile info can reduce unwanted recommendations.