Ever scroll through TikTok or Instagram and wonder how they just know what you want to see?
I had this moment a few months back where I was watching a video of someone cooking Korean street food. Ten minutes later, my feed was packed with gochujang recipes, Seoul travel tips, and mukbangs. I hadn’t searched for any of it I’d just paused for a few extra seconds. That’s all it took.
Welcome to the world where your feed follows you.
AI: The Invisible Hand Guiding the Scroll
Behind every “recommended for you” post is a system watching how you interact how long you watch, what you like, what you skip. It’s not trying to be creepy (though yeah, it can feel that way). The goal is to serve you more of what you’ll enjoy, faster than you can ask for it.
Let’s say you like short videos about hiking. Before you know it, the app starts throwing in trail recommendations, gear reviews, and maybe even ads for weekend retreats. It’s not magic it’s machine learning picking up on your digital habits.
It’s like having a friend who listens really, really well. Only this friend doesn’t sleep, forget, or get bored.
The Double-Edged Feed
All this sounds pretty useful, right? But it can get weird.
A buddy of mine got super into DIY home renovations. At first, his feed was full of useful stuff painting tips, budget hacks, small-space ideas. Then, it turned into nothing but that. He actually missed regular updates from friends because the algorithm thought, “Oh, you only care about drywall now.”
That’s the catch. These systems are designed to keep you on the app. Not to give you balance, not to challenge your views, not to surprise you. Just to keep you watching, clicking, and liking. It works almost too well.
The Personalization Trap
We’re all living in different bubbles without even realizing it. If you and I search for the same thing, we might get totally different results based on our past clicks. That means two people could walk away from the same app with opposite impressions of what’s happening in the world.
Scary? A little. But it also means we can take back some control once we realize what’s going on.
Taking the Wheel Back
Here’s something I’ve been trying lately: being intentional with what I engage with. If I feel stuck in a content loop, I mix things up. I search for something random, follow a few new creators, or even take a short break. You’d be amazed how fast your feed can shift.
Another thing? I try not to take everything I see as “the norm.” Just because my feed is full of hustle culture and productivity tips doesn’t mean everyone’s waking up at 4 a.m. and journaling in candlelight. It’s curated. That’s not real life it’s just what the algorithm thinks I want.
Where This All Might Be Headed
We’re already seeing AI doing more than just suggesting content it’s creating it. Auto-generated posts, deepfake influencers, voiceovers that sound uncannily real. Soon, the line between what’s made by a person and what’s made by a bot might blur entirely.
The next question might not be “Do I like this?” but “Did a human even make this?”
Wrapping Up Without the Clichés
The way content finds us is changing fast. It’s smoother, smarter, and strangely intuitive. But it’s still on us to be curious, cautious, and a little more aware of who or what is shaping our screen time.
So next time your feed feels too perfect, ask yourself: Who’s really picking what I see? And do I want to see something different?
