The Algorithms are Working Perfectly

Making no choice is still a choice

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

At some point, we ask how we got to the present moment. We are snapped out of its trance and become more aware.

I looked up at the clock at realized I had been watching an Australian cow veterinarian perform castrations and field necropsies for two hours when my husband and I were supposed to have been resuming Alien Versus Predator.

Anything we consume online is curated to maximize our exposure to products or services we are more likely to buy. Advertising is a powerful and effective tool. While it seems a tiny, imperceptible bell, recommendations also drive purchasing. Based on your preferences, watch history, and read articles, most sites or carriers scan their catalog trying to pinpoint your interest. They are learning about their consumer and building a profile.

Google’s ad personalization settings maps the user based on, among other pieces of information from advertisers and your account, its “estimation of interests”. Back in 2015, it got me down to age, marital status, and parity. My husband? Google thought he was a 65 year old Republican into politics and technology. At the time he was less than half that age and a social Democrat at that. What made Google come to these conclusions?

In essence, we cannot…