The modern world is highly dependent on the use of mobile technologies and applications. Therefore, as an outcome of a permanent connection to the use of technology, people now experience the real-life influence of technology through algorithms implemented in search engines and social media content. Initially developed to improve the quality of content, algorithms are now used to show personalized ads tailored to an individual’s interests and even dating services (Berman & Katona, 2020). This essay will describe my personal experiences in interacting with algorithms.
My interesting experience of interacting with algorithms happened when I browsed YouTube and a relatively old video appeared on the recommended page. The video thumbnail featured a low-quality image of a man falling into a puddle, and its duration was less than ten seconds. The suspicious thing about the video was that it had several million views. Furthermore, after browsing the comment section, I noticed that majority of the comments from other users were published yesterday, with some published even one hour ago. After reading the comments, I learned that the YouTube algorithm randomly listed the video in recommendations for millions of users. The experience made me think about the way algorithms change my daily life. I often listen to songs featured in the playlist recommended for me and find that it makes it easier for me to find new sources of inspiration. I also find that the content of personalized recommendations from TikTok improves my experience in using the app because the content touches on the subjects of my interests.
Thus, I believe that algorithms significantly improve the daily life of people because they improve the quality of interactions with digital content. In the modern conditions where people are constantly using mobile devices for communication, the popularity of entertainment apps has become dependent on the quality of the platform’s content. Thus, while social media apps benefit from implementing algorithms by attracting more users, people benefit from social media companies’ competition in attempts to create more advanced algorithms.
Reference
Berman, R., & Katona, Z. (2020). Curation algorithms and filter bubbles in social networks. Marketing Science, 39(2), 285-457.