How Algorithms Adulterate Art
Or, how I went viral on 'Notes' and why it gave me the ick!
First up, let me welcome all those who kindly clicked subscribe after my viral "moment" this week, I appreciate it and I hope I am able to repay your actions and maintain your interest with my words. For the hardcore who have been with me since the beginning, here's what happened:
So, what now? Have a I really "hacked" the algorithm and, if so, is that a good thing? Could I do it again? And would I want to? My heart says no but my ego says do it you pussy, get them subs, you need them, they are our precious! And therein lies the problem, not just for me, but for all of us. Do we dance to the beat of our writing hearts or the robotic algorithm? Well, there is precedent for this...
For most of the last two decades online writers did battle with Search Engine Optimisation a.k.a. SEO. This was a fight between writing what they desired vs. what Google demanded, between selecting language from their internal dictionary or Google's list of most popular search terms to enable discovery. But this assumes that every reader knows what they want to read, that they are looking for something specific. This is a fair assumption when it comes to, say, finding instructions on how to change a plug or fashion a messy bun but what if they are looking for comfort, companionship, consolation, understanding, inspiration and a myriad of other intangible feelings? What exactly are the search terms for that?
I write about the intersection of technology and humanity, specifically the value of human creativity and culture in an inhuman world. I fit neither into the category of 'technology' or 'culture'; I am not reviewing gadgets or books, anti-viral software or theatre productions. So, where do I fit? Philosophy? Sociology? Humanities? And what if there are no category headings for this - do I simply fall between the cracks?
The temptation in this situation is to skew one's writing towards what "works" as opposed to what is most creatively fulfilling, interesting or unique. This post is a perfect example. The most popular form of writing on Substack is writing about Substack, which is exactly what I am doing now - how did it come to this?
Back To My Mission
I believe algorithms are harming human creativity and culture in a number of ways.
First, they are not interested in what's interesting but in what "works" in terms of driving attention and engagement that benefits the platform over the creator.
Second, they incentivise copy cats. When I was a younger man, back in the 1990s, no artist would dream of announcing they are deliberately copying a trend and yet this seems to be a point of pride on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Creators regularly begin their videos with the phrase, "trying out this trend" until every video appears to be aping the same inane dance move or prank.
Third, they narrow our horizons instead of broadening them. Every tech company worth their outsized valuation has 'diversity' as a value painted upon their canteen walls and yet their algorithms drive users down ever narrower pathways until they become bubble-wrapped at best, radicalised at worst.
A confession. Several years ago when Jordan Peterson first came to fame I, as a man, was curious about his take on the role of men in modern society. I watched a couple of his lectures, found them interesting but over the following weeks was quickly pushed from outside observer to the midst of the manosphere thanks to YouTube's algo, which doesn't understand that watching something, even at length, isn't necessarily an endorsement of it.
This radicalisation of the user is also mirrored in the creator as the algorithm rewards them for publishing more and more extreme content; observe how Jordan Peterson has moved further and further to the right of the spectrum along with the likes of Russell Brand and Douglas Murray. All of these creators started out with some intriguing, slightly leftfield ideas and have ended up as far right conspiracists because the algorithm rewards them for it.
I believe the reason my 'Note' went viral was because of the extreme and unambiguous headline: I HACKED THE 'NOTES' ALGORITHM AND HERE'S THE DEPRESSING TRUTH. I didn't "hack" the algorithm and I have no corroborated facts to prove any truth but: I MIGHT HAVE HACKED THE 'NOTES' ALGORITHM AND HERE'S MY SUBJECTIVE TAKE, simply isn't going to get any traction. Authority, certainty and a total lack of ambiguity works but the world, thankfully as far as I’m concerned, isn't that cut and dried.
So, what now?
Back to my opening question; having tasted some small measure of virality and benefitted from it, what should I do now? Publish more unambiguous, conspiratorial notes for the traction? Or continue to explore the grey areas between technology and creativity and hope that this small band of subscribers is enough to sustain me and spread the message. What would you do? Let’s chat about it…
Recommendations
The Cure's new album - their first for 16 years - came out on Friday so if you haven’t heard it pour yourself a glass of something and find a rain-streaked window to stare out of for the next 49 minutes and 15 seconds.
I will take this opportunity to share with new subs my latest short(ish) story - it's about a 30 minute read - about an a Gen X ad exec who becomes disillusioned with his work and develops an obsession with a Gen Z YouTuber who appears to be living the "off-grid" life he dreams of. Get it on Kindle NOW!
Speaking of the ad industry, I've worked in it and to be honest and I've never known it to be organised enough to enact a global conspiracy so maybe this is just clickbait, but I still think this doco deserves a look…
And finally, Singapore Writer’s Festival kicks off next week and I am most intrigued to join this session: ‘Tech Talks: Exploring AI’s Impact on Literary Arts’. I shall report back on whatever I learn.
That’ll do ya! Nx
Hi Neal! Nice to "meet" you.
I found you because I stumbled across that note.
"Hacking the algorithm" is an interesting idea, of course, but that isn't why I subscribed.
I subscribed because "Pro Human" resonates. I'm pro human, too. Glad to have found you!
Hey Neal! As a new writer here on Substack, I’ve also struggled with the pressure to optimize everything to serve what the algorithm wants. I think getting caught up in the numbers game is what kills new writers, as it equates their work’s value with “virality” or clicks. But it’s not—there are so many quality pieces still waiting to be favored by the algorithm and I just hope their writers survive until then. Thank you for writing about this, it means a lot.