The algorithm pushed a debate between two neighbors I overheard at Home Depot

I was grabbing some adhesive mats last tuesday when this guy and his neighbor got into it right in the flooring aisle. The neighbor was dead set that LVP is a scam pushed by influencers on Instagram, but the guy kept saying his feed only showed it because he searched for it first. It just stuck with me how the algorithm makes people think everyone's being sold the same thing, but really it's just mirroring your own clicks back at you. Has anyone else noticed how hard it is to convince someone their algorithm feed is unique to them?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathankim11d ago

That line about "mirroring your own clicks back at you" hit home for me. Last month my buddy swore up and down that everyone was getting ads for those weird mushroom coffee brands. I had to pull up my phone and show him my feed was all car detailing videos because I can't stop watching guys restore headlights. He got quiet real fast. It's wild how people will argue about what the algorithm is doing to everyone else but don't stop to think their own feed is just a reflection of their weird browsing habits at 2am. I think some folks just hate admitting they clicked on something first, you know?

alice_allen510d ago

Wait, you're telling me there are people getting mushroom coffee ads and I'm stuck here watching guys fix headlights at 2am with zero shame? That's honestly making me reconsider some of my late night rabbit holes.

mark_green10d ago

I mean, I get what you're saying but I don't think the algorithm is as neutral as people make it out to be. It's not like it's just passively reflecting your habits, it actively pushes trending content and products to everyone at the same time, especially if you're in the same demographic or area. I've had friends show me completely different feeds on the same app and still both got ads for that viral Stanley cup thing, so idk maybe there's more to it than just "you clicked on it first.