You raise a point that really resonates with me because it's a topic that has been on my mind for almost a year now: the algorithms shaping our online experience. I even started a small series about it on Hive, but I didn’t feel entirely legitimate talking about it, so I stopped.
From what I’ve learned and tested, the key to avoiding being trapped in an algorithmic bubble is to use platforms intentionally. It requires constant vigilance. It may seem obvious to us, since we know algorithms tend to flatter us. But when I talk about this with friends or family who aren’t aware of the issue, they don’t even see it as a problem. And that often frustrates me to no end.
The most effective thing I’ve done is delete TikTok. The downside is that my time on Instagram has increased significantly. I can’t delete it because I use it to communicate with friends. That said, I found a feature to disable some personalized recommendations, and I’ve set a screen time limit of 30 minutes per day (which is still a lot, I know).
The real wake-up call came when I watched a video from someone I highly respect for her intelligence. She explained how she gained much of her knowledge by reading books since childhood. But over the past year, she’s fallen into the short video loop (Shorts, TikTok, Reels) and can no longer read more than five pages without getting bored, putting the book down, and going back to the short video spiral.
All this to say that the comfort of personalization quickly becomes an invisible trap.
What I appreciate about Hive is that the platform allows you to break free from this dynamic. It promotes more human and authentic interactions, which is great because it brings back that joy of discovery we’ve lost elsewhere. The lack of algorithmic manipulation encourages creating and exploring out of passion rather than optimization.
I never would have imagined sharing my journey, even if it's slow, of building my tiny house, or discussing topics close to my heart, on any other social network.
DeepL Trad
Awesome comment. I've recently started intentionally going back to books. I barely read anymore and I was so greedy for literature. Reading books is now an act of resistance to the attention economy.
If we get algorithms I will immediately power down. Sure, it's an effort to find people sometimes but it's possible to create favourite author lists and so on..
It frustrates me too when others don't see algos as an issue or are aware they live in a curated bubble.