In today’s world, as likely highlighted by a chief growth officer during a recent earnings call, we find ourselves in an unprecedented era for data collection. Companies like Amazon and Facebook have access to extensive insights about my purchasing habits, reading preferences, and viewing history. My online experience has been shaped to the point where I routinely click “Accept All Cookies” just to find out how much cumin I need for my favorite chili recipe, while I have come to terms with the idea that even my washing machine may be tracking my activities.
This situation prompts a critical question: with the vast amounts of personal data at their disposal, why aren’t advertisers able to present me with products that genuinely align with my interests? For instance, when I open my Kindle, I frequently encounter ads for popular trilogies with titles like “Ruthless Faerie Werewolves” or “Evil Mafia Hunk,” despite the fact that I have never engaged with content featuring protagonists described as “morally complex shadow daddies.” After discontinuing my viewing of “Stranger Things” after just one season, it is perplexing that Netflix continues to recommend its stage adaptation to me with such frequency that I can recite its advertisement verbatim. Meanwhile, Amazon has seemingly abandoned any attempt to anticipate my needs, simply repeating ads for items I have already purchased, while other platforms like Reddit and X promote software that I find completely baffling.
On one hand, I find some comfort in this: perhaps my tastes are so unique that they cannot be easily categorized by my online behavior. Yet, there is also a sense of disappointment; wouldn’t it be preferable to receive tailored suggestions for the types of books I crave, such as micro-histories on subjects like cod, AK-47s, or 19th-century navigation techniques?
However, a small part of me is genuinely concerned that the algorithms might actually understand my preferences better than I do myself, and that by ignoring their recommendations, I could be overlooking something valuable. I will keep you informed, as soon as I finish reading “Mean Pixie Mob Daddy.”
Joel Snape is an independent writer.
