Algorithmic intent

Before I got into web development, I never thought too much about my interaction with the internet. My fascination with how my favorite websites work was a factor in pursuing this new trade, absolutely. As I have learned more about how everything works, it has caused me to reflect on what I am contributing to the increasingly algorithmic, click focused, engagement driven content of the internet.

Things are getting pretty rough. All the social medias and content platforms are full of bait. Whatever makes you feel the most, its a click away. Rage, food, altruism, porn, cringe, tutorials, hacks, apologies, lists, products for everything, it goes on and on. Every click you make, even out of curiosity, just reinforces the problem. It seems like every platform is just trying to keep you engaged and scrolling. The content can have no meaning, as long as the click revenue keeps coming.

I only have one social media account, LinkedIn, which I use professionally. I use YouTube as well, which is massively click focused. This doesn’t make me any less prone to feeding the algorithm. It probably keeps my content bubble even smaller. I am not studied on this issue. I am no expert. I am just a concerned consumer. Even platforms like Ground News which try to present multiple perspectives, are part of the engagement machine. Crazy thing, as I was in the middle of this ripple, I found a YouTube video that did an amazing job describing what I was feeling. It was a bit on the nose and I took a walk outside.

I still really enjoy my new career and am fascinated by how the internet is changing the world. But sometimes I miss more simple work.