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Our online world, where many of us spend a great deal of our lives, is ruled by algorithms and algorithms are shaped by our thoughts and preferences. According to this scenario, our online lives are shaped to fit perfectly and to receive what we already know and enjoy. Shortly put, the results of our preference based algorithms are our personality`s reflection onto the surface of the Internet.
So what is wrong with having TV shows specifically designed to entertain you? Or with having our dating profiles matched with those in whom we are inclined to show interest. The list on algorithms that shape and affect our lives could go on and on, but the point is, that our internet profiling has become so precise, that most of us can go through life without ever experiencing anything other than what we already know and want to like.
The cocoon that the internet media creates for us based on our previous preferences can block some of the other things out there, that we don`t know we like yet and it can also put a stopper in refining and redefining our tastes as we get older.
Sure you get the music and the movies and the news you would like to see, but what if there is more out there that you don`t have a clue about and your preference based algorithm can work against you and prevent anything different from escaping into your virtual reality.
However, not everything about preference based algorithms is bad, they offer comfort and you can always rely on them for offering you proper entertainment, after all, it has done so on many successful occasions. This is the beauty and ugliness of the whole concept, it can give you what you want based on what you wanted before, but it doesn`t offer you a chance to get out of your comfort zone and see what else is out there.
There are many who benefit from algorithms tailored to our whims and desires, users for one example and marketing companies for another. Since the invention of preference based algorithms, a marketer`s work has been greatly decreased. It is now so easy for them to see what you are interested in and market that product directly to you.
This isn`t entirely a bad thing since the end result is the user buying the product they want, but nonetheless the degree to which our everyday decisions are influenced by preference tailored algorithms is staggering.
Image Source: techhive
