Factually! with Adam Conover

How the Algorithm Warps Our Culture with Kyle Chayka

Mar 6, 2024

Discover how algorithms shape our online experience as Kyle Chayka chats with Adam about filtering culture. Learn how content creators adapt to algorithmic demands on platforms like TikTok, the struggles of seeking virality, and the importance of human curation over algorithmic recommendations.

01:10:58

Episode guests

Kyle Chayka

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Algorithms on social media platforms prioritize engagement metrics over creativity, impacting content production.

Content creators face challenges in balancing algorithmic appeal with personal expression and authenticity.

Consumers are influenced by algorithm-driven trends, raising concerns about the impact on individual identities and consumer behavior.

Deep dives

The Evolution of Distribution Channels and the Impact of Centralization

The internet's evolution from decentralized DIY content creation to centralized distribution channels like social media platforms has transformed how content is consumed and created. Platforms like YouTube revolutionized video hosting and distribution, leading to a shift towards centralization. While these platforms provided needed distribution channels, they also centralized internet activity, impacting the way content is produced and consumed.

Introduction

4min

The Influence of Algorithmic Recommendation Systems on Culture

15min

Navigating the Dichotomy of Online Spaces and Virality

5min

The Algorithmic Influence on Internet Fame

16min

The Algorithmic Influence on Content Creators

19min

Breaking Away: An Algorithm Cleanse Journey

6min

Regulating Tech Giants and Promoting User Choice

4min

Human Curation vs Algorithmic Recommendations

2min

Navigating Online Platforms for the Speaker's Work

2min

The internet once felt novel and exciting, with new mysteries waiting to be discovered around every corner. These days there's a different mystery: who is actually deciding everything that you end up seeing? Journalist Kyle Chayka, author of Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture, has studied how platform algorithms have been invisibly guiding culture, as well as how they're been failing us. In this episode, Adam and Kyle discuss what algorithms get wrong about what people want, how that warps our culture, and how creative people have started making content to serve the mathematical needs of platforms instead of actual human beings. Find Kyle's book at factuallypod.com/books

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