Beyond the Algorithm
Is the soundtrack of life really a curated playlist?
Prefer to listen? Click play on the audio track above to hear SVB read you these words.
And don’t forget your Reflection Points at the end.
“This aggregation appears sleek, sophisticated…but it has an inarguable underbelly.”
ACCORDING TO WIKIPEDIA, it was in August of 2005 when Pandora Radio first launched to the public. This tracks with my early memories of the streaming service, which occurred during a chapter of my life post-college, when I was living back at home while simultaneously trying to strut my independence.
In the beginning, everything about Pandora felt fresh and novel, and distinctly like a rather sharp contrast to my bulky CD carrying case that I mindlessly traipsed out to my car, back into my bedroom, and out again.
The premise – that you could simply put in a song or an artist that you loved and a curated playlist would follow – seemed intuitive. Organic even. So much so, that when Pandora missed the mark and played a song that felt off, it became instinctual to skip it.
Heaven forbid we listened to something that didn’t succinctly jive with how we were feeling.
In retrospect, for many of us, services like Pandora were our first exposure to the notion of an algorithm. We told the tech what we liked and it used a series of rules to make other educated assumptions.
Rather amazing to think what could be deduced about my music preferences with a slight nod to an affection for Billy Joel.
But the algorithm was, of course, noticeably on point.
And they (plural) are now, of course, even more fine-tuned and engrained in nearly every aspect of our lives.
So while it’s common to think of algorithms as they pertain to our social media feeds, I think it’s time to get our heads out of the sand about the way – quite frankly – that we’re being played by our devices. All in the name of convenience and customization, our phones now make suggestions on what we might like from the socks we’re ordering off Amazon to the restaurant for that night’s takeout.
“Learning what we don’t like is equally important to indulging in what we do.”
This aggregation appears sleek, sophisticated – I mean, how great to be exposed to exactly what I “need” when I need it – but it has an inarguable underbelly. Privacy issues aside (which are not something to take lightly) I personally find myself getting antsy in what feels like a world increasingly siloed to my likings.
Where is the exposure? To new thoughts, ideas and experiences? This is a refrain that has, justifiably, become a point of tension in the world of politics, but what about how it pertains to more mundane, nuanced forms of culture?
What music am I missing out on by apple deciding my playlist for me?
What movie did I disregard because I went straight to Hulu’s personal recommendations?
I mean, when you consider how much the algorithms put our preferences in a spotlight, is it really a surprise that as a society we’ve seemingly grown intolerable to anything that doesn’t align precisely with our requirements?
Considering how standard the algorithm now is as a feature, I am not sure how to navigate around it (reject the cookies at all cost!), but I do think we could all benefit from taking a break from more of the same.
Development and exploration of oneself is, after all, rooted in the process of elimination.
Yes, learning what we don’t like is equally important to indulging in what we do, and often paves the path for discovering things about ourselves that might otherwise stay hidden.
So here’s to swapping assumptions for curiosity.
To being willing to take a chance and – gasp! – possibly being disappointed.
Because if we’re evolving, then our preferences are too.
I mean, I still love me some Billy Joel.
But that’s ultimately just because it reminds me of the summers of my youth.
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Coming Up Next Week: Wide Lense
The realities that live beyond the frame.
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Write them, think them, talk them. There is no right or wrong way to navigate these prompts. Except to go into them without judgment or expectation. Be curious. And honest. Have the courage to sit with yourself.
Think back to the last time you heard a song, saw a post or received a suggestion that didn’t “succinctly jive” with your mood. Did you instinctively skip or delete it? This week, try to sit with the “off” note. What does that internal itch to curate tell you about your need for control?
We often think our preferences are entirely our own, but the algorithm is essentially a mirror making educated assumptions. Look at your current “Recommended for You” list (on any app). How much of that feels like you, and how much feels like a version of you that a series of rules created?
This week, see if you can ditch the convenience of the algorithm by identifying one small area of your life where you can reclaim the right to choose. Order the thing that wasn’t recommended. Walk into a store instead of clicking a link. Does this feel foreign? And, if so, does that mean it’s wrong?