NOTE: I ADDED IMAGES BUT IT KEPT DELETING THE WHOLE POST SO THERE ARE NO MORE IMAGES SORRY
Netflix is recommendation-heavy. They usually promote their new movies or shows that are leaving Netflix soon. They want users to discover new content and watch trendy shows that others are watching so they can keep up with peers. They also feature seasonal content, like Christmas movies and Halloween shows. This is really fun and makes you feel like you’re part of a community. There’s some personalization, but there’s also standardization. The recommendations also differ by region. Their incentives are getting memberships, retaining members, and maintaining high watch time. I don’t hate Netflix that much, in the way I hate TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. I think fundamentally, even the most brain-rotted content on Netflix still actually takes a lot of time to produce, and there’s highly intellectual and good content on the platform. Since the entire feed isn’t user-generated algorithmic slop, there are actually good movies about families, love, travel, etc., and documentaries from which you can learn things.
YouTube used to promote a lot of high-quality videos. It was really looked down upon to have clickbait. If your title was better than the video, there would be a lot of hate comments. YouTube changed their algorithm when I was in high school to promote more brain rot content. I guess it helped them make more money or something, maybe it pushed engagement, but it honestly makes me hate the platform. I only get pushed AI videos now (about how to get rich with AI), how to get skinny (a bunch of models and their diets, which they promote because I use YouTube for workout videos), and some science and CS videos that are honestly really clickbait and not that well researched. I’m sure it helps them get users who are passively watching content but not really engaging, but it’s causing YouTube to lose a lot of respect, especially after they introduced Shorts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9EKV2nSU8w—this is a really good video that to me encapsulates everything wrong with algorithmic feeds. I will probably never be able to write anything in defense of algorithmic feeds, although I do understand in theory they help these companies make money. They just make everything worse for everyone.
Airbnb—I love the ways you can discover new Airbnbs. I like that they have a feed of cool random Airbnbs around the world and you can filter and find really quirky stuff. This is what the internet should be for; algorithms and search should drive real, awesome lived experiences. Airbnb is actually the tech platform I’ve spent the most money on this year, after Uber and Lyft. I like their map feature where you can see the Airbnbs and their prices simultaneously. I love Airbnb, and it’s actually a joy to use. I sometimes just go on it and look at houses in random cities I’d like to visit and plan trips. I was doing that for Paris earlier in the quarter and now I’m booking an awesome trip there. I know it’s a for-profit tech company, but I still love it. The only problem with Airbnb is it causes gentrification and makes places really expensive for locals to live. I don’t know how I feel about this.
