The podcast discusses the impact of algorithms on taste and aesthetics, exploring how they have led to a loss of individuality. It examines the connection between independent coffee shops and digital platforms, and highlights frustrations with the current state of the internet. Additionally, the podcast explores discovering connections between electronic music and minimalist composers, and the democratization of culture.
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Quick takeaways
The internet's reliance on algorithms has made it harder to find individual experiences and has reduced the ability to be an individual online.
Cultivating a personal sense of aesthetics and taste is crucial for resisting the homogenizing effects of algorithms and digital culture.
Seeking out unique experiences and actively engaging with different genres and styles leads to a deeper appreciation of culture and creates meaningful connections with art that resonates on a personal level.
Deep dives
The Shift from Curation to Algorithms
The internet has transitioned from a period of curation to an era dominated by algorithms. This shift has made it harder to find individual experiences online and has reduced the ability to be an individual on the internet. As people yearn for a more authentic digital life, the importance of cultivating a personal sense of aesthetics and taste has grown.
The Significance of Taste
Taste is more than just superficial preferences. It is a moral capacity and a way to judge and evaluate what is meaningful for one's own life. It is not about conforming to what others think is good taste, but about developing a sense of aesthetics that aligns with one's own unique identity and values. Taste allows for the curation of a beautiful life that resists the homogenizing effects of algorithms and digital culture.
The Value of Discovering Individual Experiences
Seeking out unique experiences and cultivating one's own taste can lead to surprising encounters and a deeper appreciation of culture. By actively exploring different genres, styles, and artists, individuals can uncover hidden gems and create meaningful connections with art that resonates on a personal level. This process of discovery and genuine engagement is more fulfilling than passively consuming content shaped by algorithms.
The Impact of Algorithms on Culture
Algorithm-driven platforms prioritize mass appeal and engagement, leading to a generic and homogenized cultural landscape. Rather than fostering diversity and challenging encounters, the algorithmic ecosystem tends to favor content that is popular and familiar, limiting opportunities for individuals to be exposed to new and unconventional ideas. The ability to discern and appreciate independent and unconventional art becomes even more valuable in a digital age dominated by algorithms.
The Need for Cultivating Taste and Independence
In an era where algorithmic feeds attempt to shape individuals' opinions and preferences, developing a sense of taste becomes crucial for independent thinking and the ability to evaluate culture critically. It is a way to carve out one's own distinction in a sea of algorithmically driven content and offers opportunities to form personal judgments and opinions. Cultivating taste allows individuals to escape the passive consumption of content and actively engage with culture in a meaningful way.
Being on the internet just doesn’t feel as fun anymore. As more of our digital life is driven by algorithms, it’s become a lot easier to find movies or TV shows or music that fits our preferences pretty well. But it feels harder to find things that are strange and surprising — the kinds of culture that help you, as an individual, develop your own sense of taste.
This can be a fuzzy thing to talk about. But Kyle Chayka, a staff writer at The New Yorker, has written a whole book on it, the forthcoming “Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture.” We talk about how today’s internet encourages everything to look more the same and is even dulling our ability to know what we like. And we discuss what we can do to strengthen our sense of personal taste in order to live a richer, more beautiful life.
This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” is produced by Rollin Hu. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld. Our senior editor is Claire Gordon. The show’s production team also includes Annie Galvin, Rollin Hu and Kristin Lin. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. And special thanks to Carole Sabouraud.
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