/The Algorithm Thinks for You

There was a time when finding something you wanted meant searching for it. You had to type words into a search bar, sift through results, compare, evaluate, and make a decision. Now, the internet does the searching for you - before you even realize you're looking.

I recently found myself caught in this cycle while considering a new camera purchase. Photography has always interested me, but I never owned a dedicated camera. My iPhone's photo quality is impressive and, more importantly, practical. But then, through TikTok, Reddit, and an endless stream of recommendations, I found myself drawn into the world of compact mirrorless cameras - particularly the Fujifilm X100VI and the Ricoh GR III. It wasn't just an interest I pursued; it was an interest given to me. That realization made me question something deeper: how much of what we desire is truly ours? Do we actually control our thoughts, or do algorithms dictate them?

The unsettling part isn't just that we're influenced. It's that we know we're influenced and still can't escape it. The internet once promised control - an endless library where we could freely explore knowledge, products, and ideas. But today, information doesn't wait for us to seek it out. It finds us, shapes us, and nudges us in subtle but undeniable ways. If I had never seen that Fujifilm X100VI video, would I have even thought about buying a new camera? If I had never scrolled past the Ricoh GR III discussion on Reddit, would I have reconsidered my choice? My initial curiosity was real, but the options and desires that followed were cultivated by something else entirely.

I was talking to a friend the other day, explaining all of this - how I'd gone from casually liking a TikTok post to seriously considering a purchase I hadn't even thought about weeks prior. He was taking a marketing class, so I asked him a question that had been lingering in my mind: Is advertising ethical? Admittedly, a weird question, but one that felt necessary. He thought about it for a moment before responding: It's free speech. That answer stuck with me. If advertising is just free speech, then what happens when algorithms amplify it beyond human control? What happens when we live in a world where we aren't just hearing an argument but are being continuously shaped by an invisible hand? This isn't just about cameras or shopping habits. It's about the way our entire worldview is constructed in the digital age. Algorithms don't just sell us products; they sell us ideas. They shape our opinions, our interests, and even our beliefs. When every video, article, and recommendation is engineered for engagement, are we really thinking for ourselves?

There was a time when advertising was about persuasion. A company had to convince you to buy something, to present a compelling argument, to fight for your attention. Now, they don't need to persuade you at all. They just need to be placed in front of you at the right moment, and the algorithm does the rest. This is why modern advertising doesn't even feel like advertising. A viral TikTok trend about a new device. A Reddit thread praising a product. A YouTube video that "just so happens" to be about something you're newly interested in. These things don't feel forced - they feel organic. But the reality is, nothing is organic when an algorithm is involved. Everything is optimized for engagement, and that means what you see is not random; it's curated for maximum influence. That influence extends far beyond consumerism. If an algorithm can nudge you towards buying a camera, it can nudge you toward an ideology. If it can shape your taste in products, it can shape your perception of history, of politics, of truth itself.

Has advertising been solved? Absolutely - and in the worst way possible. The holy grail of advertising has always been to reduce the friction between seeing and wanting. The internet has removed that friction entirely. It doesn't just cater to your desires - it manufactures them in real-time. What's terrifying is that knowing you're being manipulated doesn't make it any less effective. Just because you're aware of the game doesn't mean you can opt out. The only real way to resist it would be through complete disengagement - something that's nearly impossible in a world where these systems are embedded into every facet of our daily lives. So, the question isn't just whether we control our own thoughts. The question is whether we ever truly did.