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We found this led to an overall decrease in users\u2019 content engagement. Although users engaged more with their friends\u2019 original posts and trending topics, their interaction with nonsocial content such as algorithmic recommendations decreased. This reveals a key insight: social channels act as substitutes for one another but are complementary to nonsocial, algorithmic channels. Vibrant social activity is crucial for driving traffic to other parts of a platform. Crucially, the change also made users\u2019 content engagement less diverse. Friends\u2019 liked content is a key source of exposure to niche topics. For platform operators, this means that sidelining social features in favor of algorithmic feeds can backfire, reducing overall engagement and diversity. For policymakers concerned about online echo chambers, our findings suggest that content shared through extended social networks is vital for promoting a wider range of content.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1287\/isre.2024.0871","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,20]],"date-time":"2025-08-20T15:38:35Z","timestamp":1755704315000},"page":"805-823","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Impacts of Reducing Visibility of Friends\u2019 Liked Content on User Content Engagement Across Newsfeed Channels"],"prefix":"10.1287","volume":"37","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6379-0087","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xiaohui","family":"Zhang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Sheldon B. 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