Had a week where every YouTube recommendation was perfect and it spooked me

Last Wednesday every suggested video I got was exactly what I wanted to watch, even stuff I didn't know I'd like, and I felt weirdly watched and hollow after three days of binging. Is that a normal reaction or am I overthinking how well these algorithms know me?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason_lopez21d ago

See, I gotta push back a little here, @miles_burns. Isn't it possible the algorithm just... got good? Like, you spend hours watching stuff, of course it's gonna figure out your taste eventually. I don't feel hollow, I feel like it saves me from scrolling through garbage, you know?

miles_burns21d ago

Used to tell myself I was in control of what I watched, that it was just a fun game of finding cool videos. Then I had a week like that, where every algorithm guess felt like it was reading my mind, and I honestly felt a little gross about how much time I spent glued to the screen. It's not just about being watched, it's the hollow feeling of realizing you're not really choosing anything, you're just following a path they made for you. So yeah, your reaction is totally normal. You're not overthinking it, you're just noticing the track you're on.

margareto2621d ago

Oh great, so we're all just lab rats now getting rewarded with the perfect cheese pellet every time we click. I had that exact week last month and by day four I was like "congrats algorithm, you've successfully predicted my descent into watching someone restore a 1950s toaster for three hours." It's not that I don't appreciate not having to wade through garbage, but yeah, that hollow feeling hits different when you realize you're basically on a very sophisticated leash. Honestly I'm more spooked by how quickly I got used to it than the algorithm itself.