In drawing the distinction between technologies that enable us to act on a decision we’ve already made versus those that try to make the decision for us, its interesting to note that the former is increasingly leading
to the latter.
When I started using platforms like Netflix and Uber Eats, it was because I already knew the things I wanted to watch and eat, and they provided an easy way for me to act on those desires. As they became normalized parts of my day to day, it only seemed natural that I should start following their recommendations as well. Now it feels increasingly like I go to them to give me answers, unlike when I started out.
I rejected Spotify's Discover Weekly suggestions for a really long time, but lately I've been more and more accepting of the fact that wow, I really do like Discover Weekly's suggestions every week, and I don't know how to reconcile that
We're all dealing with the same thing but its not just Spotify...its every algorithm we encounter. Its hard to reconcile that we're not unique, we're extremely predicable.
When I started using platforms like Netflix and Uber Eats, it was because I already knew the things I wanted to watch and eat, and they provided an easy way for me to act on those desires. As they became normalized parts of my day to day, it only seemed natural that I should start following their recommendations as well. Now it feels increasingly like I go to them to give me answers, unlike when I started out.