You can escape the algorithms, but you need to work for it

We all hear many people complaining about “the algorithms” on social media, and it’s often a legit complaint. At best, the algorithms show us a bunch of stuff we didn’t ask for. As worst, they could be affecting political outcomes.

Part of the problem is the algorithms themselves, but the other part is our overall apathy — simply using those systems is easier than building one for ourselves. However, taking the time to put together your own systems not only avoids the algorithms, but allows you to intentionally hear from a variety of sources to help avoid the filter bubble.

In a recent podcast from Seth Godin, he teed up the idea with this:

“So through deliberate action, some people, people who realize that having a variety of inputs makes them more effective, are finding ways to use the very tools that insulate us to connect us. They subscribe to blogs that they don’t agree with. They read newspapers, as long as there are newspapers, with other points of view.”

A bit later in the show, he addressed the point I’m trying to make, saying:

“And so we can wring our hands about it and complain about it, but we still have the ability to do something about it with our own mouse, with our own fingers, which is to intentionally seek out the ideas that…