Trapped in the algorithm
Feeds, Filters, And Fading Freedom - When Code Outscrolls Reality
Vandita Sharma, AIS Saket, XII E
It’s 12 AM. You open your phone, promising yourself five minutes of scrolling before bed. Suddenly, it’s 1 AM and you’ve been lost in an endless stream of reels, beauty ‘hacks’, and memes that seem to read your mind. Behind this uncanny accuracy lies a system - the algorithm. Defined as a set of rules for solving problems, it now goes far beyond mathematics; it carefully designs our experiences, tastes, and even personalities. What was meant to connect us, is now quietly curating us.
Choice charades
Every like, share, or repost is a whisper to the algorithm and it listens closely. We believe we’re freely choosing what we love, but it’s often the algorithm pulling strings, shaping our preferences into predictable patterns. According to The Economic Times, one-third of all purchases on platforms like Amazon are driven by algorithms. Search for one lip gloss, and your feed gets flooded with beauty ads. The same report notes that 80% of Netflix views and 90% of YouTube watch time comes from algorithmic recommendations. Dubbed the ‘Influencer of the Year’ by The Indian Express, the algorithm doesn’t just sell us products; it sells us identities. Our wants, needs, and even our sense of self are shaped by digital prediction - choices made for us, not by us.
Coded chambers
Acting like digital propagandists, algorithms amplify certain ideas while muting others, wrapping us in ‘safe bubbles’ filled only with familiar voices. During Virat Kohli’s 2020-22 slump, India Today noted that social media never stopped chanting his name - thanks to algorithms rewarding loyalty-driven engagement. Conversely, when Deepika Padukone requested humane 8-hour work shifts, the same platforms turned against her, painting her demand as ‘unrealistic’. As Vyjayanthi Movies confirmed, she even stepped away from major projects like ‘Spirit’ and the ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ sequel. The system doesn’t just distort perception - it dictates. The effect extends to consumer ethics as well. Like one sustainability reel, and suddenly your entire wardrobe is eco-friendly. A 2023 Unilever-Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) study found that 75% of people were more likely to adopt sustainable habits after watching related social media content. The ‘online you’ may look thoughtful, but it’s often a digital echo of what the algorithm wants you to be.
Programmed politics
Communication, once a tool of democracy, has become a weapon in the age of ‘algopopulism’, or algorithm-aided politics. The Conversation and India Today both reported that after India’s 2024 elections, an Israeli firm used generative AI to create anti-establishment content, which OpenAI later confirmed and blocked. These systems even extend to warfare. During the Israel-Gaza conflict, investigations revealed that the Israeli military used an AI system called Lavender to identify tens of thousands of potential targets - an example of algorithmic intelligence shaping real-world violence. A 2014 Pew Research Center report found that over two decades, the number of Americans with consistently conservative views had doubled - a trend linked to social media echo chambers. Platforms reward outrage, fear, and anger because they generate engagement. Thoughtful debate loses to viral hostility, turning politics into performance and division into currency.
So, don’t blindly consume what the algorithm serves; question it. Awareness is the only antidote to digital conformity. Step outside your feed. Read, explore, and listen to the voices the algorithm hides. After all, we created these systems to understand us - not to become us.
