Algorithms change us – making us more efficient

In computer programming, there are different ways – including algorithms – to accomplish any given task.

As our lives are becoming increasingly rushed and complex, algorithms help to make more efficient and effective choices – sifting out what ‘the system’ believes we are not interested in and steering us in the direction it believes we should be.

It changes the way our brain works.

This does not sound like the way things should be but it is seemingly the way of the future. Google and Facebook track activities, affecting what we read – choosing for us!!! Google steers us to waht ‘it’ thinks we want to buy – forcing our hand – because it is easy.

And according to ‘Vice’ it goes much further:

“Even when you’re not using your phone, its motion sensor captures how quickly you move and how far you travel – data which can reveal insights into your emotional state.”

Algorithms – or “algos” as they say – can be intrusive and are prone to overuse.

Repetitive irrelevance affects the human mind:

• robots conspire with these algos, affecting what people read, think about and shop for,
• removing the right to make decisions and placing humans in a herd behaviour category,
• stealing the opportunity of serendipity – by steering us where algos ‘thought’ we wanted to be

Each algorithm sorts by lists.

Humans are not machines. The customer is always right and the computer all too often gets the algorithm wrong.

Introducing some randomness back into our marketing models would be a much better and healthier place to start.

“Linda has published sixteen books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on the challenges a writer faces, including marketing and promoting your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews and how to self-publish.”