Filterworld

This book got quite a bit of hype and I’m here to tell you that it is worth it and for me, absolutely lived up to all of the online praise. I first heard about this book via this podcast episode (which got SO much attention and I found very interesting). I wound up listening to it and found myself more and more engrossed as I continued. I will say that I did find the first chapter a little slow (it defines algorithm, explains what they are and how they affect us, and gives you the history of the first algorithms). It was interesting but just felt slow, probably as it wasn’t a ton of new info – you could skip it and be fine. But then: it just gets so good. Of course as an influencer I know all about the social media algorithms. But what about Air BnB, Spotify, and so much more. It’s not just online spaces; offline spaces have been affected as well. The book talks about so much: from the flattening of culture and how strange it is that trendy restaurants and rentals look the same across the world. Or how our taste is being shaped by these algorithms with us just passively standing by. But also: what to do about it, and how to find your own taste when everything has become so homogenous. I found the whole thing fascinating. And alarming. I had really only thought about algorithms in the sense of how they impact my business vs. my personal life (and taste, decision making, etc.) It’s excellent and will make you really think.