What if We Resisted the Algorithms?

Let’s face it: algorithms are good and getting even better. 

Everything from what you see on your Instagram feed, the product recommendations you get on Amazon, the videos you’re shown on YouTube, and the specific directions given to you by Google Maps are shaped by powerful algorithms that process large amounts of data to give you an experience that is uniquely tailored to your preferences. 

A world without algorithms would mean less of many good things we’ve come to enjoy, and would be an immediate step backwards in terms of convenience and personalization.

Despite these measurable consumer benefits, there are harder to quantify costs of living in a world ruled by algorithms. I believe there’s a strong case for pushing back against this force, and preserving a space for older ideas to flourish.

Efficiency vs The Good Life

Like many aspects of modern living, algorithms have made our life easier and more predictable. They are amazingly efficient at what they do.

But I worry that we’re reinforcing a culture that puts far too much importance on comfort and convenience at the expense of other traits linked to a healthy, dynamic society— like risk-taking, adventure, and an independent spirit.

Instead of nurturing the next generation of ambitious go-getters and entrepreneurs, we’re growing more and more complacent. Eventually this bill will come due.

At the margin, I think we need more people strategically and creatively resisting the algorithmic way of life, even while acknowledging the important role that algorithms will play in our future.

These acts of resistance may not look efficient in the short term (why not outsource more and more of our decisions to these powerful algorithms?), but I think they can preserve something crucial in the human spirit— a set of values that makes the good life possible, not merely optimized for greater comfort and security.

The Case Against Algorithms

The point I’m trying to make is a nuanced one, but I think I have a helpful analogy:

I think it’s amazing that so many of us now live in a world of food abundance. In the past 100 years, food has gotten cheaper, tastier, and more convenient than ever before in history. I celebrate this accomplishment and hope for the trend to continue.

However, it’s not hard to find problems this development has caused. A report published in 2020 by the National Center for Health Statistics reported that a staggering 76% of American adults are overweight, with 43% meeting the criteria for obesity. Living in a world of food abundance is both a blessing and a curse. As a whole, our society is perhaps the best-fed but least dynamic to live on earth. And in a number of ways, we are already paying the price.

The solution is not to go back to a world before all these advances were made, but rather to cultivate a collective set of values that pushes back against the dangers of food abundance, while leaving ample space to enjoy its blessings. Practices like exercise, fasting, growing our own food, and eating a balanced diet would seem to fit the bill.

The case against algorithms follows a similar vein. In order to benefit from and thrive in a world of automation, convenience, and yes, algorithms— we need to push back against the complacency they encourage.

There are three ways in particular that algorithms shape us that are cause for concern:

Algorithms shape our worldview without us realizing it.

Most algorithms operate like a black-box. We don’t have much control over what we see or when we see it. In recent years, this has raised much concern over the rapid spread of mis-information, and the presence of filter bubbles— in which people are primarily shown content that reinforces their views.

Algorithms reinforce passive consumption over creativity and risk-taking.

A curious feature of algorithms is their tendency to break down content into smaller bite-sized pieces and feed them back to us in a steady stream of dopamine hits.

• Instead of albums, we stream personalized music stations.
• Instead of books, we flip through Tweets and images.
• Instead of movies, we watch 30-second video clips and short episodes.

Algorithms surface the best of the best, and deliver it in a convenient, infinite scroll experience that encourages overconsumption. They increase relevance and convenience at the expense of serendipity— leading us to miss new experiences, opinions, and interactions that might have challenged us or shaped our worldview in unexpected ways.

Depending on algorithms causes other skills to atrophy.

In the short run, algorithms are often better decision makers than humans. But what if this comes at the long run costs of eroding skills that are necessary for humans to flourish and grow. In a perhaps innocent example, we can see how the use of GPS has eroded our ability to use a paper map or travel without technological assistance. Are there more important skills that we’re losing and don’t know?

Small Ways to Resist the Algorithm

A surprising side effect of resisting the algorithms is that you begin to live a far more interesting life. You aren’t the technophone who hates progress or the technophile who gets giddy over every new development, you are a contrarian— paving a new path for the future and trying to hold onto the best of both worlds.

Are you ready to harness your inner contrarian spirit? Here are some small ways that you can get started today:

Look outside the algorithms to learn new things.

• Read entire books and long-form magazine articles
• Resist the urge to Google everything
• Explore a bookstore or library for inspiration
• Have conversations with people who aren’t like you
• Try learning a new skill without reading about it

Look outside the algorithm for your entertainment.

• Attend live events (concerts, sporting events, festivals, theaters)
• Go to a movie theater without looking in advance to see what’s playing
• Listen to a full album of music in one sitting
• Subscribe directly to your favorite content producers 
• Watch more full-length movies and fewer social media video clips

Look outside the algorithm for relationships and adventure.

• Host dinner parties (be social without social media)
• Get off your computer and into the physical world
• Find restaurants by exploring instead of reading reviews
• Drive without a GPS unless you absolutely need it
• Travel somewhere you’ve never been before
• Bonus points for traveling without an itinerary

Resisting the algorithm can be a fun and interesting way to live your life. It can also lead to new and exciting experiences that you wouldn’t have otherwise had. So go out there and start exploring the world in your own unique way!