The Algorithm of the Night

Almost daily, I find myself perplexed by recommendations made by Netflix, Amazon Prime, and all over my social media feeds. I know it's not a perfect science, and these suggestions are based a bit on guessing, mixed with some formula based on a bunch of variables. I just find myself sighing a lot when I begin to scroll.

I've got a couple Instagram accounts, and one is for my dogs (shameless plug for @pugandpibb). There, I follow mostly dogs, a few cats, one raccoon, and various rescues. It's nice to switch over and just scroll through tons of adorable animal pics. But seriously, all animals. There might be 4 or 5 humans I follow on that account but that's it. So why do I get suggestions  to follow posts for luxury bedding? Or fancy sunglasses? Is it based on my other Instagram account? How do they know one of my dogs isn't actually running this one? Pibb is very clever after all. ps. Instagram, I am terribly myopic, I'd never be able to wear any of those sunglasses. My dogs also won't wear them.

Pibbington J. Whippersnap- Dog Mastermind

Netflix makes some wacky suggestions, but also lets you know what those choices are based on. Because I watched Raw, I might like many other cannibal-themed films like The Bad Batch. Then they toss in To The Bone, which is about anorexia. Um...not quite the same but I can at least see why. Teenage cast, eating disorder (very different interpretations of course). Plus I am sure some of this is based on what the other thousands of Netflix viewers have watched and they throw that into the algorithm blender and come up with this result. Netflix is also really, really, really trying to get me to watch Trip to Spain. They've suggested it based on me watching Wormwood, Broadchurch, Young Victoria (which I have never seen. Sigh, dual accounts, sigh.), My Scientology Movie, and Handsome. Aw, heck, I'll add it to my queue.

Amazon Prime keeps recommending the movie Good Dick which means they don't know me at all.