Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture

I was pretty hyped for this book since its release last year and it definitely surpasses my expectations. “Filterworld” goes through the history of algorithms, culture, personal taste and curation, and how algorithms are making culture more boring, less personal, and more nondescriptive. Kyle Chayka does a great job explaining how we've come to this point of the inescapable, inhuman algorithmic impact on culture and how we as users make decisions and interactions with the world through both his own experiences and in historical context. The book's topics, especially when writing about the importance in music and art's curation, discovery, and archival process, I find fascinating and hugely important when it comes to expanding user's minds, diving into context and cultural history, as well as actually finding your own taste from humans rather than the algorithm giving it to you. It's also interesting to read about Chayka's personal takes and experiences as well as his algorithmic cleanse that he did for three months and what came out of it. This book is essential for any reader, aware or not of this cultural flattening. It's an extremely important and vital issue to be aware and worried about, especially how dividing, boring, dangerous, and dull social media has become and is yet another reason why I revoltingly hate and avoid using it at all costs.