How to Outsmart Algorithms and Take Control of Your Informational Diet
“Certain algorithms,” says Tim Cook, “push you toward what you already know, believe, or love, and push you away from everything else. In a welcome speech to Tulane University, the Apple CEO urges alumni to take responsibility for their informational diet. And as much as we want to scoff at irony when a phone maker tells us to beware of algorithms, we have to admit that Apple’s Screen Time app is one of the good tools to improve your tech habits Here are the best articles we’ve written so far on countering algorithms.
Break out of the echo chamber
News feed algorithms try to show you more of what you already love, which could lead you down the rabbit hole of increasingly radical content, or simply block you from any information that could broaden your point of view. It’s not just about Republicans and Democrats (versus left-wing revolutionaries and neoliberal centrists), but the end result is that you’ll only end up with the most popular, sensational, or gaudy good-mood stories from junk sources. Instead of getting news from your Facebook or Twitter feed, try less popular platforms like Feedly .
Find out which news sources are reliable, fair, and well researched. Explore the signs of fake news and how to check facts. Don’t share news that seems suspicious just because you want to be the first person in your feed to “learn” something.
YouTube is one of the worst algorithm breakers, chaining its recommendations until you end up ranting by a middle-aged teenager about how to discern George Soros’ earthly lies with a brain supplement. Hide the related videos section or remove the bad videos from your browsing history to tell the dumb YouTube algorithm no, you don’t want to see 100 more videos of CGI Spider-Man killing Peppa Pig.
Check your phone less
Smartphone notifications were supposed to keep us informed of important events. But app makers have taken these tools easily to hum on your phone with every like, comment, new friend, new subscriber, update, call, sale, or free gem. The reason there is no Tamagotchi app is because your phone is already a Tamagotchi that needs attention and dies all the time.
Turn off notifications, hide or remove distracting apps, and encourage good habits that make your phone more than a time killer.
Block out algorithmic confusion
Social and media sites (including Lifehacker) desperately need your time, so they (we) throw all kinds of recommendations at you, hoping you will click and read more. Sometimes you need these guidelines! It’s nice to find an old article by a favorite writer or find a related how-to post that really solves your problem. But sometimes you want to block it all. Use apps and extensions like Freedom and uBlock Origin to hide online links, popular themes, and distracting ads. (Remember to whitelist sites that respect your time and attention, or sites that you want to support financially.)
Stop learning algorithms
Unless you take drastic action, you will not be able to keep all of your personal information private. But you can reduce the amount of communication by ditching certain programs and using high-quality alternatives to the default services like Google.
Don’t let algorithms rule your life. Get your time, attention and thoughts back. You will find much more advice on our tag pages for privacy , security , hassle , social media , news , ads, and personal information .