About this Video

• Video Title: How Algorithms Make Everything The Same (Ft. Carole Cadwalladr, Kyle Chayka & Yancey Strickler)
• Channel: The Citizens
• Speakers: Carole Cadwalladr, Kyle Chayka, Yancey Strickler
• Duration: 00:58:46

Introduction

This video is a discussion about the homogenizing effects of algorithms on culture. The speakers explore how algorithms, designed to maximize engagement, lead to a sameness in online experiences and, consequently, in real-world trends like cafe design. They also discuss the challenges of navigating the resulting information chaos and the potential for new, more equitable structures for creative work.

Key Takeaways

• Algorithm-driven homogenization: Algorithms designed to maximize engagement on platforms like Instagram and TikTok inadvertently create a sameness in cultural trends, leading to a globalized, yet unoriginal, aesthetic and consumption patterns.
• Bottom-up globalization: This homogenization isn't top-down corporate control, but a bottom-up phenomenon where individuals, influenced by algorithms, independently gravitate toward similar tastes and styles.
• The challenge of legitimacy: The abundance of content online makes it difficult to discern legitimacy, requiring individuals to find their own methods of filtering and curating information.
• The rise of creators and new structures: The video highlights the rise of the "creator" as a profession and the need for new economic and legal structures to support creative work, fostering collective wealth generation rather than individual struggles.
• The potential of small-scale, collaborative structures: The speakers advocate for smaller, collaborative media entities that prioritize community and shared profit margins, counteracting the homogenizing tendencies of large platforms.

The speakers suggest several methods for navigating information chaos and finding legitimate content online:

• Returning to blogs and blogrolls: Kyle Chayka mentions going back to blogs and blogrolls as a way to find curated content.

• Subscribing to monthly recommendation newsletters: This is another method suggested by Kyle Chayka for receiving filtered recommendations.

• Focusing on internal reflection and real-world experiences: Yancey Strickler emphasizes the importance of internal reflection and engagement with the physical world (e.g., walking in New York City) as sources of learning and meaning, rather than relying solely on online feeds.

• Curated newsletters from trusted sources: Yancey Strickler cites a record store's newsletter as an example of a trusted source for recommendations.

• Small-scale, individual interactions: The speakers generally agree that focusing on smaller-scale, direct interactions (e.g., private group chats, in-person conversations) can help to cut through the noise and build trust and connection.