The Algorithm Controls Us
We think we are choosing what to watch and believe, but our digital world is quietly shaped by code. This piece explores how algorithms learn our habits, shape our thinking, and what it means to stay aware in a world built on screens.
We open our phones just to check something, and suddenly hours pass. We keep scrolling, liking, watching. It feels normal, but the truth is that what we see is not random.
Every time we stop at a video or click on a post, the system learns something about us. It knows what we enjoy, what we fear, what makes us react. Over time, it starts to guide what we see and how we think.
We feel like we are choosing. But most of the time, the algorithm is choosing for us.
How It Shapes Our Thinking
The algorithm is built to show us things we already agree with. It makes us feel understood. It gives comfort. But that comfort slowly closes our mind.
If we like a few videos about one idea, the app starts to hide the other side. It is not trying to be unfair, it just wants to keep us watching. It gives us what we like, again and again, until we stop questioning it.
Psychologists call this confirmation bias. It means we like information that supports what we already believe. The algorithm takes this habit and makes it stronger. We end up living inside a bubble where everything we see agrees with us.
How It Sets the Story
Long ago, stories were told by people sitting together. Now, they are told by platforms. The algorithm decides which stories rise and which disappear.
It does not choose what is true, it chooses what is popular. Posts that make us angry or excited spread faster than calm or thoughtful ones. So we see more of what triggers emotion and less of what builds understanding.
This is how public opinion is shaped quietly, every day.
How It Learns Our Habits
The algorithm knows more than what we think. It knows when we open our phones, how long we watch a video, what we buy, and even when we are most likely to click.
If we are tired, it shows light videos. If we feel low, it might show something emotional. It studies us until it can almost predict what we will do next.
That is how it slowly guides our habits, from what we eat and wear to what we believe and how we spend time.
How to Stay Aware
We cannot escape the algorithm, but we can stay aware.
Start by noticing what you see. Ask yourself: Why this post? Why now? Who benefits if I believe it? If something makes you react too fast, stop and breathe. Not everything needs a reaction.
Also, try to follow content that challenges you or teaches you something new. The more you engage with meaningful things, the more your feed learns to show you better ones.
Your curiosity can guide your algorithm.
The Power We Still Have
The algorithm can guess our behavior, but not our values. It can learn our habits, but not our heart.
Technology may shape what we see, but it cannot decide who we are. That choice is still ours.
Because in the end, the algorithm only controls those who forget to think for themselves.