Social Network Content Feed Boredom Detection and Repositioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Social networking systems face user disengagement due to the overwhelming amount of content, leading to boredom and reduced interaction as users may exhaust available content items, impairing the user experience.

Innovation Solution

A social networking system monitors user interactions to determine a threshold level of interest and generates an indication of boredom, prompting the retrieval of additional content items by repositioning previously selected but not displayed content in the news feed, ensuring continuous user engagement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the social networking system presents a large number of content items to users, then the quantity of content is improved, but user interest deteriorates leading to boredom

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequantity of content itemsVSAvoiduser interest level

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The news feed system dynamically adjusts content selection based on user interactions. The system monitors user behavior (scrolling, stopping, liking, commenting) and adaptively changes which content items are presented next, transitioning from static content delivery to dynamic, responsive content curation that maintains user interest

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback loops by monitoring user interactions with content items and using this information to influence subsequent content presentation. User actions such as scrolling behavior, time spent on content, and engagement metrics feed back into the content selection algorithm, allowing the system to learn and adapt to individual user preferences

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Duration of action of stationary object

If the social networking system presents content items continuously, then the duration of content presentation is improved, but user engagement deteriorates due to content exhaustion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveduration of content presentationVSAvoiduser interaction frequency

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses periodic refreshes of the news feed based on user scrolling behavior. When users scroll through content, the system periodically introduces new content items or repositions existing ones, creating a rhythmic pattern of content delivery that maintains user interest over extended periods without causing exhaustion

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-loads and pre-selects content items based on predicted user interest, preparing content in advance before users actually request it. This preliminary action ensures that engaging content is ready to be presented, extending the effective duration of user engagement without requiring continuous real-time content generation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10419560B2Presenting additional content items to a social networking system user based on receiving an indication of boredom

Publication Date: 2019.09.17 META PLATFORMS INC

AI summary

A social networking system presents content items to a user and determines if the user has less than at threshold level of interest in the presented content items based on one or more user interactions with the presented content items. For example, the social networking system determines the user has less than the threshold level of interest in the presented content items if at threshold number of requests for content are received within a time interval. If the user has less than the threshold level of interest in the presented content items, the social networking system identifies additional content items to present to the user, and may also identify content items previously presented to the user. Content is selected form the additional content items or from the previously presented content items and presented to the user.