Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Doubleday
Publication Date: January, 2024
Pages: 304
Rating: 4/5
Buy at: Amazon | Add to Goodreads
When The Social Dilemma aired on Netflix in 2020, we all sat up and took notice. Not that we were not aware of machine learning and how our data is being used by corporations. But spelling it all out felt like a wake-up call.
Four years hence, social media and more importantly algorithms have permeated our lives. We may not be aware but the show or movie we watch next on Netflix, the book we pick to read, the song we play on Spotify, the cafe we decide to check out, and the travel destination we plan, all are impacted by the algorithm.
Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture by Kyle Chayka explores how the algorithm influences almost every decision of our life. Art. Literature. Movies. Food. Travel. Fashion. Dating. So much so that choosing an experience that is not engaging feels radical.
Is my taste actually my own?
Filterworld, the title of this book, is coined by the author to signify the network of algorithms that influence our lives today. Its impact on culture and the ways it is distributed and consumed.
The first few chapters of the book are dedicated to the technical aspects of machine learning, the history of algorithms, and their growth. From chatrooms of the 90s to social media of today.
The author then proceeds to illustrate the effects of algorithms, good and bad. He cites some interesting examples based on his observations. How the coffee shop aesthetics look cookie cutter and how it is all about how Instagrammable the place is. Likewise with the arts. How the benchmark of any creative piece of content (including books and music) is the potential amount of engagement it will receive. The rest I leave for you to explore. Not everyone is on social media but algorithms affect those offline too. The way the culture is impacted filters down to everyone.
He questions if we have lost the ability to determine our interests. If our taste is our own or one curated for us. Is Netflix taking a bit too far by personalizing thumbnails based on the viewer’s watch history? Or online news publications customizing their home page based on the kind of news the reader prefers.
The author shares his takeaways from his social media detox that is as honest as it gets, particularly the FOMO. He also includes suggestions on how we can break away from the algorithm and move towards more human-curated content. Take back our individuality instead of being treated as a statistic. Whether that is truly possible to implement is a story for another day.
Algorithm and the content creator
“The algorithm hates me!” If you are a content creator, you would at some point in time have complained about not being able to crack the algorithm. I sure have. And then proceeded to feed the beast, creating content on what’s trending rather than what you want to.
We are well aware that algorithms are about conformity. One trend and everyone jumps on the bandwagon to ride the wave. Scroll through a few reels and they all begin looking the same. Are we too guilty of flattening the culture?
As a blogger, if you think Google does not use algorithms, it has quite a complex mechanism in place. Add to that, page rank is all about backlinks. It is not always the quality of content but how many times it has been linked back that determines where it shows up on the search result page. Google is trying to course correct that by implementing user experience as a deciding indicator and we all know how that is going.
What didn’t work for me
As much as I enjoyed the book, it does have its issues. The book begins with a bang but tends to get repetitive towards the end. It could have been a few pages shorter.
Overall, it felt as if the book only scratched the surface. It lacked the required deep dive. Although quite an interesting read, it is more about anecdotes and observations. Data and numbers backed by research would have made it more well-rounded.
The verdict
All in all, I recommend you pick up the book. It is a book that makes you think. It made me take a step back and introspect how I consume social media. How I contribute to it as a content creator.
An interesting observation to wrap up the discussion. I came across the book on Instagram but it wasn’t a recommendation from a friend or a bookstagrammer I was following. Honestly, if not for the algorithm, I wouldn’t have picked the book. So is algorithm really the big bad wolf it is made out to be? Food for thought.
Some quotable quotes
I end the review with the quotable quotes. The book is packed with it and would need a post of its own. Here are just a few that have stayed with me.
“I just want to know that what I like is what I actually like.“
“Attention becomes the only metric by which culture is judged, and what gets attention is dictated by equations developed by Silicon Valley engineers. The outcome of such algorithmic gatekeeping is the pervasive flattening that has been happening across culture.“
“All kinds of cultural experiences have been reduced to the homogenous category of digital content and made to obey the law of engagement, the algorithms’ primary variable. Any piece of content, whether image, video, sound, or text, must compel an immediate, albeit often superficial, response from the viewer. It must make them tap the Like or Share button, or prevent them from hitting Stop or Skip, anything that would interrupt the feed.”
“Our phones and feeds absorb so much of our attention and dominate so many of our preferences that stepping out of their conveniently predetermined paths and choosing an experience not immediately engaging feels somewhat radical. ”
“The data they take in is used for gradual self-improvement to encourage even more engagement; the machine adapts to users and users adapt to the machine.”
Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture by Kyle Chayka #BookReview #BookishLeague Share on XThis post is part of the Bookish League blog hop hosted by Bohemian Bibliophile.
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.
Photo credit: Canva.com
Suchita Agarwal
July 3, 2024 @ 1:01 pm
Your review of the book reminded me of this thread I read on Twitter on how minimalism has badly affected architecture and design of public places. This just reinforces my growing need to actually delete social media from my phone and see how I’m able to survive it.
ambica gulati
July 7, 2024 @ 8:04 am
Sounds like a good read. Too much digital, too little real, it does get on your nerves. I have taken a few days off social media and site too, it does get too suckish. Algorithms will continue their work, we must use our brain more than our temptations.
Harjeet Kaur
July 8, 2024 @ 12:34 pm
Your book review shows the big, bad picture again, but how will it help us? The Social Dilemma was a shocker but a wake-up call. Can we escape the algorithm? I don’t think so. I fear how this algorithm is controlling our minds. I have tried to break free by stopping cable TV completely during covid. News I believe is the worst of all evils more than social media. We can stop watching reels, but if you are watching the news, you are bombarded with all negative news of accidents, and deaths, all day. Agreed, that we humans are prone to watch gory details more and the news channels are cashing on the TRP. But, some governing body should put a stop to it.
Kaveri Chhetri
July 10, 2024 @ 8:22 pm
I think you have pretty much summed it up Ritu. I don’t think I will read the book. However the topic of discussion does interest me, The convenience of algorithms aside( customized content, suggestions, choices, filters etc), this big data thingy is scary as it intrudes our privacy. Sometimes even when we speak something, it shows up on google. I feel our phones are always listening n so is that Ok Google. I don’t want to be scared more so I won’t read it.😛
Manali
July 10, 2024 @ 10:10 pm
What irony that you picked the book which takes a hard look at the algorithm thanks to an algorithm.
That one line ‘tends to get repetitive’ is my main problem with such non-fiction books so I guess this one isn’t for me
Chandrika R Krishnan
July 12, 2024 @ 3:29 pm
Your review both fascinated me and worried me. To think that technology dogs our footsteps and also makes us its slaves.
Ratna
July 11, 2024 @ 8:16 am
I liked the fact that the very algorithm that is “condemned” or at least given a fair warning about is what led you to the book! So, like you rightly say, is it really the big bad wolf? I don’t know but I’m scared. Most importantly, think I’m too ordinarily common to even begin to comment or judge it.
Evolution and movement are the two pillars of life, and this is the stage we are in right now becuase of the movement made by our ancestors. What we do will impact the next generation. And yet, what kind of control do we have over all this? I suppose we are all herding sheeping, moving where the mass moves!
What I can do is minimize social media in my life or at the very least, cut it down and include a lot more human interaction. And that is what I am trying to do in the last couple of years!
I don’t think I’ll pick up the book despite your highly engaging review, especially since you say it only scratched the surface and didn’t delve deep enough.
Docdivatraveller
July 12, 2024 @ 6:54 am
This is a very practical topic to discuss upon. I have always believed that algorithm kills originality. When blogging, thinking about SEO kills creativity. This is an interesting book.
Samata
July 12, 2024 @ 11:06 am
I will not deny the fact that this book is the one which can shed light on multiple things that we as blogger need to learn and understand. I would also like to add that still date I depend on my husband on these practicality and this technical aspects dont attarct me and so I dont like to dig deep into it. But this book for the first time I doing it … will recommend to my husband to read as I know this Techie man in my life will love to read it and enjoy.
Janaki
July 12, 2024 @ 2:48 pm
I too remember watching Social Dilemma on Netflix and getting baffled. Also, sometimes, Ive shocked and wonder if my phone eavesdropped on my conversation. Technology has taken huge strides and impacts our lives like never before transforming us into machines. Wonder what the future will look like, Thanks for the book review and recommendation. I’m sure after writing this, it will show up on my feed too 🙂
Madhu Bindra
July 12, 2024 @ 6:05 pm
I remember you talking about this book when you were reading it. It is scary that machines control everything about us. Sometimes we don’t realize it also.
Jeannine
July 13, 2024 @ 9:02 am
Now I have another show and book to keep myself busy with. I love how you’ve written this book review and would be looking out for this book. It’s informative without giving too much for the readers to be excited to read the book themselves.
Anuradha Sowmyanarayanan
July 13, 2024 @ 4:56 pm
Your review brings forth – how technology has narrowed our choices and dulled the culture.
By limiting the information we provide and adjusting our preferences, we can reduce the amount of data available for algorithms to target us.
Aditi Kapur
July 13, 2024 @ 8:42 pm
The life of modern man revolves around algorithms and algorithms are usually unpredictable. What most people like becomes the norm of the internet., and it is not always perfect.
Felicia
July 13, 2024 @ 11:18 pm
This book seems like a must-read for anyone interested in digital culture and its impact. As a blogger myself, the section on Google’s algorithms and page rank resonates deeply. It’s frustrating yet crucial to understand how these systems shape our online presence.
Varsh
July 14, 2024 @ 10:43 am
This topic is one that needs a long discussion. If you remember, in Eat Pray Love there’s a line, “You Americans need to be told what to enjoy.” or something like that. It’s true for most of us now, thanks to social media. While content creation has to be algorithm based, I certainly like to keep my personal choices away from trends. How else can we live?
Pamela Mukherjee
July 15, 2024 @ 10:13 pm
I loved the way you explained each point, especially the algorithm. Being a creator is an integral part of our life and I do not deny it, and I guess that’s why we all follow the trends. But uniqueness is also important to be authentic.
Ishieta
July 18, 2024 @ 10:23 pm
The book definitely touches on a crucial topic and one that is alarming too… what the books suggest is highly probably as we do see the individuality go out and everyone copying everyone in a bid to go viral and be popular…this is true from everything from food, to careers to hobbies too… people have stopped exploring /experimenting as much.
Harshita Nanda
July 24, 2024 @ 10:52 am
I felt the irony when at the end of the post you wrote about finding this book through Instagram. This is something I have been thinking too, so many books I pick up nowadays because I have seen it on Twitter or Insta. The days of browsing and finding books in libraries and bookstores seem to be fading.
I also liked how you critiqued the book. The fact that this book could have been more insightful with facts and figures is a little bit of a let down…but then given our attention spans I guess even the author thought keeping it light would work more.
Preeti Chauhan
July 25, 2024 @ 6:35 pm
This sure is a thought-provoking book, Ritu.
It is scary how easily we can be manipulated to look at things we don’t even care about deeply or how catering to an algorithm can become a nuisance when reading a work.
I would like to delve deeper into this issue and hopefully, the book will educate.
ninu nair
July 30, 2024 @ 11:30 am
Indeed a relevant book for our times. Though I understand and as you have already mentioned, there may be sections that are repetitive but I am sure the more informative bits would make up for it. Bookmarking this one!
Prasanna Raghavn
July 30, 2024 @ 9:07 pm
When the Blog promised to make our content escape the editor’s scalpel, we felt like we were enjoying creative freedom. But, now look at the SEO and the AI gates they need to crash against the readers’ generic tastes and interests to gain fame. The social media trends determine the destiny of creative works. But who forms this SM crowd? We. The SM trend is a creation of our mindset.
It is always good to read books that put questions into our minds about alarming trends and related issues. I read two other books in that genre in this month’s Bookish League- this is the power of books and reading.
Kanchan Singh
July 31, 2024 @ 9:56 am
It really opened my eyes to how deeply algorithms shape our choices. It made me question if my tastes are truly my own or just curated for me. Chayka’s insights and suggestions for reclaiming individuality are thought-provoking.
Jaideep Khanduja
July 31, 2024 @ 1:56 pm
The way algorithms shape our choices and cultural experiences is indeed concerning. Your insights on how this impacts originality and individual preferences resonate deeply. It’s a timely read for anyone interested in digital culture and its broader implications. Thanks for the recommendation!
Shifali
August 24, 2024 @ 1:59 pm
Your post is an eye-opener for me. I try a lot to understand these algorithms but fail most of the times. I need to learn how this is impacting our work on social-media. As a blog writer, this book seems to be a must-read.
Noor Anand Chawla
September 7, 2024 @ 4:35 pm
How interesting. I agree the algorithm does take over most aspects of our lives but there are ways of beating it – most important of which is choosing not to engage with the algorithm’s suggestions.