The first problem with “trending” is that it selects and highlights content with no eye toward accuracy, or quality. Automated trending systems are not equipped to make judgments; they can determine if things are being shared, but they cannot determine whether that content should be shared further. Facebook’s trending section is fully automated.
I think even my five year old has just about figured out that quantity rarely equals quality, but she’ll probably forget it once she’s a teenager.
How have we managed to turn the internet into the world’s biggest high school popularity contest?