Let’s start this time with a gedankenexperiment:
You are Netflix, and your job is to convince me, your loyal binge-watching customer, that you’re my best friend. But instead of asking, “Hey, how was your day” you are rummaging through my trash, taking notes on how much popcorn I ate during that one action movie, and shouting, “You’ll LOVE this next Sci-fi blockbuster! Trust me, I know you!”
Well, sometimes, you’re wrong, Netflix. Dead wrong.
We live in the bizarre, hilarious, and creepy world of hyper-personalized algorithms. They promise to know us better than our own mothers, but much like that one aunt who insists you’d make a great doctor because you did not flinch when you were bleeding, they often miss the mark.
In this piece I will enlighten you about the various ways Netflix et. al. are using algorithms to keep you binging.
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Netflix, the psychic stalker
Imagine you that you are drained after a long day. Not that hard.
You grab your snacks, snuggle into the couch, and open Netflix, and you hope it will effortlessly serve you the perfect pick-me-up movie. And what does it do instead. It slaps a psychological thriller in your face because, a month ago, you watched one episode of Mindhunter.
This is no accident.
Oh no, Netflix is playing 4D chess with your life choices.
It has three secret weapons: Collaborative Filtering, Content Filtering, and Context Filtering.
It is their fancy ways of saying, “We’re watching your every move, Marco”.
Collaborative filtering
This is your classic “because you watched Stranger Things, you might like The Witcher” spiel.
Essentially, what Netflix’ algorithm does, is that it looks at what other people like and says, “Hey, if it worked for them, it’ll work for you”. It’s matchmaking, but instead of finding your soulmate, it is trying to set you up with a TV show. Sometimes it works. Other times, it’s like your Jewish cousin who is trying to set you up with his dentist’s niece because, “hey, she also likes pizza”!
Here’s how it works: Netflix gathers a ridiculous amount of data on all its users and forms little cliques. It looks for patterns like, “People who loved Narcos also loved Peaky Blinders, let’s recommend it to Marco too!”
Example:
- Netflix notices that you and User X both liked The Crown and Downton Abbey.
- User X recently binged The Great, so Netflix will recommend it to you, assuming you two are practically twins in taste.
Reality Check: Collaborative Filtering works well when you actually have similar tastes to the hive mind. But if you’re a wildcard who likes murder mysteries one day and feel-good comedies the next, Netflix’s matchmaking skills can give you quite awkward suggestions.
Content Filtering
This one’s all about YOU, baby.
Netflix notices that you like slapstick comedy, so it shoves every Adam Sandler movie ever made into your piehole. Just compare it to walking into your favorite nightclub and the bar man screams, “THE USUAL”?, before you’ve even sat down.
Sure, it’s nice… until it’s not.
When you’re in the mood for an Oscar-worthy drama but Netflix is waving Happy Gilmore in your face, it starts to feel more like a hostage situation.
Here’s how it works: Netflix spies on what you personally watch. Every click, every pause, every time you abandon a show halfway through (looking at you, Marco, for giving up on that obscure documentary about alpacas), it’s taking notes.
Example:
- If you watched Breaking Bad, it’ll think, “Aha! Marco loves crime dramas with morally ambiguous protagonists.”
- Next thing you know, it’s throwing Ozark and Better Call Saul at you faster than you can say, “I just wanted a rom-com tonight.”
Reality Check: Content Filtering focuses only on you, your tastes, your quirks, your Netflix diary. It doesn’t care what your neighbor Bob is watching or what’s trending. It’s like a clingy barista who won’t stop offering you the same latte you ordered six months ago, even though now you’re into herbal tea.
Context Filtering
Here’s where it gets downright spooky.
Netflix knows when you’re watching, where you’re watching, and on what device.
If you’re watching during your lunch break, it’ll recommend something short and sweet. Watching at 3 a.m.? Here’s a conspiracy documentary, because apparently, Netflix thinks you want to unravel the censoring mystery of the year (read: ).
Netflix has bugged your house, peeps. The only thing missing is it texting you, “Hey Marco, you seem stressed. Here’s a rom-com and a coupon for ice cream”. But trust me, that won’t take long for it to happen, just read my piece on project Astra.
How It Works:
- It tracks your device usage and time of day to tailor its recommendations.
- Watching on a tablet during lunch break? It’ll serve bite-sized shows or episodes.
- Streaming on your smart TV at night? “Here’s a 3-hour movie, because you’ve got time.”
Example:
- If you’re traveling abroad, Netflix notices your location and suddenly recommends local content (“Marco’s in Spain? Time to push all those Spanish telenovelas!”).
- Watching on your phone during your commute? Expect 20-minute comedies or short documentaries to pop up.
Reality Check: Context Filtering is all about where you are and what you’re doing. Netflix is a nosy neighbor who’s constantly peeking over the fence, and is saying, “I noticed you were gardening at noon. Here’s a new trowel for you I just bought!”.
Personalization or gaslighting?
Netflix and its algorithm buddies are helpful, sure, but they’re manipulative little gremlins as well. They guess what you’ll like, and they shape what you think you like.
Ever bought a something on Amazon because it “completed your look”? That wasn’t you. That was Jeff Bezos’ algorithm whispering, “You need this, Marco. Trust me”.. And the billions keep pooring into his bank account, like water flows through the Hudson.
The same goes for Netflix.
After weeks of suggesting thrillers, you start thinking, “Wow, I must LOVE thrillers”. But do you actually? Or is Netflix gaslighting you into thinking you do?
This isn’t just Netflix’s problem. Spotify does it. YouTube does it. Even Instagram ads are like, “Hey, remember that one time you thought about getting a treadmill? Here’s a 15% discount, fatty.”
When AI cannot handle your moods
Let’s be real, peeps. We hoomans are just complicated creatures. What we want at 9 a.m. on a Monday is not the same as what we want at 9 p.m. on a Friday. But algorithms just don’t get it. They are that one shady friend that always wants to take you to that same Italian restaurant, no matter how many times you say, “Dude, I want sushi tonight”.
For example:
Watch one productivity video on YouTube, and suddenly your feed is an endless parade of motivational speeches. But maybe I just wanted to know how to stop snoozing my alarm, YouTube. I didn’t sign up for Tony Robbins.
Buy one work-related book on Amazon, and it decides you’re the next Elon Musk. “Here’s 17 more books on management strategies!” No, Amazon. I wanted Harry Potter.
The existential crisis of over-personalization
While these algorithms save us from decision fatigue, they are also taking away our autonomy.
When was the last time you chose something to watch without Netflix shoving it in your face?
Yeah, I’ll wait….
⏱️
Thought so.
So now, for some street smarts….
How to outsmart the algorithm overlords
If you are as tired as I am of being a puppet in Netflix’s creepy little theater, here’s how to fight back:
- Teach the algorithm: Use those thumbs-up and thumbs-down buttons like your digital life depends on it. It’s the only language they understand.
- Go old-school: Ignore recommendations entirely and just search manually. Heck, even use the secret Netflix codes you can just type in the search bar (just Google it, you lazy b*******). Yes, it is an effort, but at least you won’t end up in a Tiger King binge loop.
- Diversify accounts: Share an account, make separate profiles. Trust me, your kids’ love for Paw Patrol will wreck your algorithm.
- Mix it up: Watch something totally random every now and then. Think of it as algorithm sabotage.
The bottom line
Algorithms are well-meaning but clueless friend who thinks they’re doing you a favor.
They’re great until they’re not.
Sure, they save you time, but they also trap you in a digital hamster wheel.
So, take back control, peeps !
Watch weird stuff.
Break the mold.
And remember: Netflix might think it knows you, but only YOU know that tonight, you’re not binge-watching another crime thriller.
You’re watching The Great British Bake Off.
Take that, you f*** algorithm.
Signing off – Marco
Well, that’s a wrap for today. Tomorrow, I’ll have a fresh episode of TechTonic Shifts for you. If you enjoy my writing and want to support my work, feel free to buy me a coffee ♨️
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Signing off – Marco
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