Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture
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- Create Date：2024-02-14 12:21:40
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Kyle Chayka
- ISBN：B0C4CBHN1D
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Summary
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK From New Yorker staff writer and author of The Longing for Less Kyle Chayka comes a timely history and investigation of a world ruled by algorithms， which determine the shape of culture itself。
From trendy restaurants to city grids， to TikTok and Netflix feeds the world round， algorithmic recommendations dictate our experiences and choices。 The algorithm is present in the familiar neon signs and exposed brick of Internet cafes， be it in Nairobi or Portland， and the skeletal， modern furniture of Airbnbs in cities big and small。 Over the last decade， this network of mathematically determined decisions has taken over， almost unnoticed—informing the songs we listen to， the friends with whom we stay in touch—as we’ve grown increasingly accustomed to our insipid new normal。
This ever-tightening web woven by algorithms is called “Filterworld。” Kyle Chayka shows us how online and offline spaces alike have been engineered for seamless consumption， becoming a source of pervasive anxiety in the process。 Users of technology have been forced to contend with data-driven equations that try to anticipate their desires—and often get them wrong。 What results is a state of docility that allows tech companies to curtail human experiences—human lives—for profit。 But to have our tastes， behaviors， and emotions governed by computers， while convenient， does nothing short of call the very notion of free will into question。
In Filterworld， Chayka traces this creeping， machine-guided curation as it infiltrates the furthest reaches of our digital， physical， and psychological spaces。 With algorithms increasingly influencing not just what culture we consume， but what culture is produced， urgent questions arise: What happens when shareability supersedes messiness， innovation， and creativity—the qualities that make us human？ What does it mean to make a choice when the options have been so carefully arranged for us？ Is personal freedom possible on the Internet？
To the last question， Filterworld argues yes—but to escape Filterworld， and even transcend it， we must first understand it。
From trendy restaurants to city grids， to TikTok and Netflix feeds the world round， algorithmic recommendations dictate our experiences and choices。 The algorithm is present in the familiar neon signs and exposed brick of Internet cafes， be it in Nairobi or Portland， and the skeletal， modern furniture of Airbnbs in cities big and small。 Over the last decade， this network of mathematically determined decisions has taken over， almost unnoticed—informing the songs we listen to， the friends with whom we stay in touch—as we’ve grown increasingly accustomed to our insipid new normal。
This ever-tightening web woven by algorithms is called “Filterworld。” Kyle Chayka shows us how online and offline spaces alike have been engineered for seamless consumption， becoming a source of pervasive anxiety in the process。 Users of technology have been forced to contend with data-driven equations that try to anticipate their desires—and often get them wrong。 What results is a state of docility that allows tech companies to curtail human experiences—human lives—for profit。 But to have our tastes， behaviors， and emotions governed by computers， while convenient， does nothing short of call the very notion of free will into question。
In Filterworld， Chayka traces this creeping， machine-guided curation as it infiltrates the furthest reaches of our digital， physical， and psychological spaces。 With algorithms increasingly influencing not just what culture we consume， but what culture is produced， urgent questions arise: What happens when shareability supersedes messiness， innovation， and creativity—the qualities that make us human？ What does it mean to make a choice when the options have been so carefully arranged for us？ Is personal freedom possible on the Internet？
To the last question， Filterworld argues yes—but to escape Filterworld， and even transcend it， we must first understand it。
Reviews
JennShooky
，
4。5⭐️
L
，
I will first say that this book has truly changed my online consumption…and has had a lasting impact on how I think about and use the internet。 But while I appreciated learning about alternative online movements （particularly the suggestion that online consumption follow in the footsteps of the slow food movement） governmental policy regarding social media， and light mentions of ways to move forward in an algorithm-pervasive world， I didn’t love Filterworld。 I found it a tad too repetitive， nost I will first say that this book has truly changed my online consumption…and has had a lasting impact on how I think about and use the internet。 But while I appreciated learning about alternative online movements （particularly the suggestion that online consumption follow in the footsteps of the slow food movement） governmental policy regarding social media， and light mentions of ways to move forward in an algorithm-pervasive world， I didn’t love Filterworld。 I found it a tad too repetitive， nostalgic， and not comprehensive enough。 Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more as the memoir of someone who had been very online and how that online has changed/is changing us。 Or maybe if it had only been a history of algorithms with more about policy and what we can do to further those actions…or perhaps a how-to with more actionable ways of dealing in a world that isn’t getting less algorithmic。 I love genre-bending and blurring and all of that…but Filterworld may have benefitted from being more focused。 I also think that in his quest to prove the homogeneity of culture being caused by algorithms， Chayka often flattened and reduced things to make his point。 Nonetheless， it’s truly changed my consumptive behavior， which is not something every book does…and for that reason I would recommend it to people who are curious about algorithms and who don’t already work in tech or anything to do with that space。 He’s especially good at culling meaningful quotes…some favorites:In relation to content creation， “the bounds of aesthetic acceptability become tighter and together until all that’s left is a column in the middle。”In this normalization， which makes you part of a group， Filterworld is itself fascism。 “Being forced to conform to the tenets of a single ideological view of the world， one that may utterly discount a particular identity or demographic。 It is the mandate of homogeneity。”“Under algorithmic feeds， the popular becomes more popular， and the obscure becomes even less visible。 Success or failure is accelerated。”“The possible self is perceived to be circumscribed， bounded， and governed by algorithmic regimes” —Patricia de Vries。 “The possibilities that we perceive for ourselves—our modes of expression and creation—now exist within the structures of digital platforms” 。。。more
Patrick
，
A lot to like about Kyle Chayka's absorbing， smart extended essay on how algorithmic platforms affect culture。 At times the subject here feels a bit slippery， as it's hard to define one thing that's "The Algorithm。" And sometimes it feels like the book is overhyping its target， particularly when algorithmic trends are described as old-fashioned recommendations or fads on steroids -- instead of something genuinely new and fresh。 But the strength of the book is in Chayka's heartland of cultural cr A lot to like about Kyle Chayka's absorbing， smart extended essay on how algorithmic platforms affect culture。 At times the subject here feels a bit slippery， as it's hard to define one thing that's "The Algorithm。" And sometimes it feels like the book is overhyping its target， particularly when algorithmic trends are described as old-fashioned recommendations or fads on steroids -- instead of something genuinely new and fresh。 But the strength of the book is in Chayka's heartland of cultural criticism， and it is particularly adept at addressing the uncurated "output" of machine-optimized trends that become globally pervasive。 。。。more
David
，
Picked this up after hearing the author's interview on Fresh Air。"You are unique。 Just like everyone else。"It's both fascinating and terrifying how algorithms have not only shaped our view of the world through digital channels but how they have also changed our physical world。 It's more terrifying to consider how many people don't realize it's happening。The book covers a number of examples， including recent events。 Good book to get a glimpse of how and why its happening。 Picked this up after hearing the author's interview on Fresh Air。"You are unique。 Just like everyone else。"It's both fascinating and terrifying how algorithms have not only shaped our view of the world through digital channels but how they have also changed our physical world。 It's more terrifying to consider how many people don't realize it's happening。The book covers a number of examples， including recent events。 Good book to get a glimpse of how and why its happening。 。。。more
Dannie Lynn Fountain
，
Wow。 A beautiful and thought provoking dissection of algorithms。 The book opened on a high note with a conversation about the Mechanical Turk， wove through a variety of topics related to algorithms and culture （including the impact to music， the rise of the influencer， etc）， and wrapped up neatly talking about curation。 The conversation on curation is honestly what landed this book at 4。5 stars for me。 The comparisons of digital curation to art curators， and the dialogue around art curation as a Wow。 A beautiful and thought provoking dissection of algorithms。 The book opened on a high note with a conversation about the Mechanical Turk， wove through a variety of topics related to algorithms and culture （including the impact to music， the rise of the influencer， etc）， and wrapped up neatly talking about curation。 The conversation on curation is honestly what landed this book at 4。5 stars for me。 The comparisons of digital curation to art curators， and the dialogue around art curation as a career beyond a singular institution， was a beautiful way of summarizing the ways that algorithms remove the humanity from recommendation systems。 [Of course， disclaimer that many museum exhibits are stolen， etc etc etc。 This dialogue was specific to "curating what is already in the museum。"] In short， this book made me nostalgic for a mixtape from a friend or a "blind date with a book，" instead of things recommended by my Spotify or （gasp） Goodreads accounts。 I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Jacob Hudgins
，
A pretty bland offering bemoaning how algorithms “flatten” culture。 Advocates curators and intentional individual culture-seeking， but not much in the way of practical solutions。 The writing wasn’t strong enough to be considered a warning， but read more like a mild complaint about modern tech。 The most glaring oversight was that he never discussed why human-focused culture， art， and expression matters。 Why do we need an unflattened culture？ Why does this discussion matter at all？
Weekend Reader_
，
🧐Lots of great analysis （albeit repetitive）。 I can appreciate that Chayka used different forms of art （media， art， music， and literature） to show the connection that over time， the algorithm makes us passive overconsumed users， and it's dangerous。 This passage was particularly salient。。。"Algorithmic feeds mold a form of culture that is compelling enough and yet decontextualized so fully and spread so widely that it becomes empty and meaningless， offering so many aesthetics without content。"The o 🧐Lots of great analysis （albeit repetitive）。 I can appreciate that Chayka used different forms of art （media， art， music， and literature） to show the connection that over time， the algorithm makes us passive overconsumed users， and it's dangerous。 This passage was particularly salient。。。"Algorithmic feeds mold a form of culture that is compelling enough and yet decontextualized so fully and spread so widely that it becomes empty and meaningless， offering so many aesthetics without content。"The one thing I thought was missing was a deeper dive on the anxiety shifts when creating content for the algorithm。 I think this point would have strengthened the cultural impact。 What was the focus was the functionality of the algorithm （origin， use， and evolution to mass consumption/use）。 It's still a worthy read。 。。。more
Joanna
，
This was a super depressing book！ But also， I think， important for understanding the world today。 Chayka did a great job summarizing and contextualizing what we're all thinking about our homogenized culture。 This was a super depressing book！ But also， I think， important for understanding the world today。 Chayka did a great job summarizing and contextualizing what we're all thinking about our homogenized culture。 。。。more
Jessica
，
Wish I could give a 3。5; the stuff about architecture and design here is so， so interesting！ I'm less moved by some of the arguments about literature/art and the inherent superiority of human tastemakers （it's so complicated！） Definitely worth a read！ Wish I could give a 3。5; the stuff about architecture and design here is so， so interesting！ I'm less moved by some of the arguments about literature/art and the inherent superiority of human tastemakers （it's so complicated！） Definitely worth a read！ 。。。more
P S
，
cool book not really new information for anyone who is terminally online already but interesting anecdotes throughout to keep you engaged
Rayna
，
loved this — super interesting and obviously very relevant to life today。 especially loved the discourse about the impact on books and music and how the algorithm only rewards very specific content。 it definitely is scary how much control the algorithm has over our choices （conscious or not）， that realization makes you reevaluate each facet of your life for sure。 this book is a great argument for more regulation， but also education。 it’s so important to be a conscious consumer of content。 forgot loved this — super interesting and obviously very relevant to life today。 especially loved the discourse about the impact on books and music and how the algorithm only rewards very specific content。 it definitely is scary how much control the algorithm has over our choices （conscious or not）， that realization makes you reevaluate each facet of your life for sure。 this book is a great argument for more regulation， but also education。 it’s so important to be a conscious consumer of content。 forgot to mention that this is also a good reminder of how valuable physical media is。 conclusion: go touch some grass 。。。more
Sanika
，
The Chaos Machine target edition。 Read that book instead
Bill Zarges
，
Algorithms rule the world I guess。。。。
Lisa Hoppe
，
I got about a third of the way through but was having trouble following。 I decided it wasn’t worth struggling through just to say I read a nonfiction book。
Spencer
，
One of many books on this subject。 Okay。 Quit at 10%。
Todd
，
Much of our value as citizens of the 21st Century seems to be measured by our data， our online presences， and our spending habits， all of which are at the mercy of mathematical formulas-- how exciting！ （Dripping sarcasm intended。） Chayka argues that not only has culture homogenized as a result， but curiously our freedom of choice has suffered as well; thankfully， he also offers tools for empowerment against the cold relentlessness of algorithms。 A vital， thought-provoking read。
Madeline
，
4。5
Logan Woodyard
，
After catching Chayaka's interview on Ezra Klein's podcast， I was drawn to this book due to its exploration of a topic I've been diving into: the homogenization of algorithmic media。 It discusses how content is aggregated， leading us to consume only what's popular， agreeable， or easy， and how this process is diminishing our cultural richness and our individual authenticity。 The book offers practical advice on how to reclaim personal curation in our media consumption， such as making mindful choic After catching Chayaka's interview on Ezra Klein's podcast， I was drawn to this book due to its exploration of a topic I've been diving into: the homogenization of algorithmic media。 It discusses how content is aggregated， leading us to consume only what's popular， agreeable， or easy， and how this process is diminishing our cultural richness and our individual authenticity。 The book offers practical advice on how to reclaim personal curation in our media consumption， such as making mindful choices， valuing word-of-mouth recommendations， or changing the way we engage with art， like buying physical albums to engage more deeply with an musicians entire work。 Chayaka's background as a digital anthropologist and culture writer adds a layer of credibility to his insights and the book's thesis is well founded and supported。However， the writing style is very much that of a columnist， and outside the main arguments and anecdotes， the book falls short in motivating the reader towards change。 I felt it could have benefited from a deeper dive into mindfulness in the digital age， the journey of discovering one's identity offline （and supplementing/expressing it with the online world）， and steps to incite active curation to foster/strengthen niche communities in person。 。。。more
Miguel
，
Found it difficult to get into this as I found it somewhat meandering into the topic of how social media algorithms affect the 'culture'。 There was no depth on the technology side which seems quite overlooked on this topic。 Most of us have a feel for how our feeds try to guide / manipulate us （for many they're actually beneficial） - but it never went into enough depth on why they might not be beneficial a la Zuboff's "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism"。 Found it difficult to get into this as I found it somewhat meandering into the topic of how social media algorithms affect the 'culture'。 There was no depth on the technology side which seems quite overlooked on this topic。 Most of us have a feel for how our feeds try to guide / manipulate us （for many they're actually beneficial） - but it never went into enough depth on why they might not be beneficial a la Zuboff's "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism"。 。。。more
John
，
（3。5）The major success here is the summation of all the errant thoughts I’ve had about “the algorithm” and how our lives are currently shaped by this technology。 There’s good info here， though it’s very surface level。 The parts where the author inserted themselves and described their lifestyle were particularly insufferable to me。
Andrew
，
The fact that this ends with Chayka essentially saying "imagine if you made a choice about the books/movies/TV/music you consume， you may actually grow some taste and a sense of self" is just amazing， no notes。If you've ever wondered why everything sucks now， nothing inspires， and everyone seems to be watching/reading/listening to the same banal stuff， oh boyyyyy do I have a book that will make you hella depressed。 Luckily， Chayka makes a compelling case for becoming our own curators， a rousing The fact that this ends with Chayka essentially saying "imagine if you made a choice about the books/movies/TV/music you consume， you may actually grow some taste and a sense of self" is just amazing， no notes。If you've ever wondered why everything sucks now， nothing inspires， and everyone seems to be watching/reading/listening to the same banal stuff， oh boyyyyy do I have a book that will make you hella depressed。 Luckily， Chayka makes a compelling case for becoming our own curators， a rousing end to a book that did give me a mild panic attack。 。。。more
Roni Loren
，
This is a topic I've been thinking about a lot lately。 I really enjoyed the audiobook。 This is a topic I've been thinking about a lot lately。 I really enjoyed the audiobook。 。。。more
Bess
，
I agree with other reviewers who mentioned that this book feels like multiple contradictory books in one。 I think that it's tempting to agree that culture is becoming something more homogenous when drawn into the Stanley cup craze on TikTok， but the author's arguments for homogeneity are underdeveloped and confusing at times。 He dwells heavily on the "coffeeshop aesthetic" that many of us associate with hipster coffeeshops and questions how coffeeshops scattered all over have the same look and f I agree with other reviewers who mentioned that this book feels like multiple contradictory books in one。 I think that it's tempting to agree that culture is becoming something more homogenous when drawn into the Stanley cup craze on TikTok， but the author's arguments for homogeneity are underdeveloped and confusing at times。 He dwells heavily on the "coffeeshop aesthetic" that many of us associate with hipster coffeeshops and questions how coffeeshops scattered all over have the same look and feel。 While I think it seems like an interesting jumping off point on the surface， the answer is probably far more stupider-trends and marketing！ Trends are nothing new， and they existed long before algorithms were 'telling' us what to like or do。 I think the coffeeshop argument is less about algorithms leading to coffeeshops looking the same and more about stacking layers of many things （style， trends， paid marketing， etc） leading to a pervasive feeling of same-ness。 The coffeeshop argument also kind of falls apart later in the book when the author talks about how much better indie bookshops are than Amazon。 Aren't many of them plagued by the same homogeneity as coffeeshops？ I think this book would have been far better as three different articles （or perhaps two different articles and a third opinion piece questioning if we are all becoming more boring and bemoaning how Spotify designs their app）。 I think the author is coming from a vulnerable place of anxiety and fear about what algorithms are doing to culture， but I really found myself internally screaming 'touch grass！' during sections like the Spotify redesign passage about 25% of the way through。 。。。more
Alex Still
，
Feels wrong to log a book about the evils of algorithms onto GoodReads owned by Amazon who will use what I write here as part of their algorithm
Katie O。
，
A right place， right time kind of book for me - also this is the longest book review I’ve ever written but I think it’s worth a least a skim :，） I’d been feeling jaded about the internet and how much time I spent on it。 This helped me understand why the algorithm was making me feel this way。 Nothing on these platforms are personal - they will corner you into specific interest categories which prevent users from identifying their own individual tastes。 The algorithm will do this for you and it wi A right place， right time kind of book for me - also this is the longest book review I’ve ever written but I think it’s worth a least a skim :，） I’d been feeling jaded about the internet and how much time I spent on it。 This helped me understand why the algorithm was making me feel this way。 Nothing on these platforms are personal - they will corner you into specific interest categories which prevent users from identifying their own individual tastes。 The algorithm will do this for you and it will do it with the shortest and most attention grabbing content。 This prioritizes content that doesn’t require complex thinking or allow users the time to sit with the subject。 It also propels the homogeneity of culture as creators （myself included） conform to the algorithm in order to make sure their posts perform well。I found myself noticing other places the algorithm controlled my life。 The spotify algorithm usually generated the music I listened to with their auto-playlists and radios。 The netflix suggestions that always suggested me romcoms and reality tv。 We’ve lost the ability to determine our own interests and connect with art outside of a recommendation system。This is an issue because these algorithms are not completely unbiased。 These platforms run by large tech companies which prioritize the content most likely to get you to stay on their app。 Culture is being flattened by capitalism。 Not often can we partake in culture/art without a mediating third-party app to dictate how we do so。What I appreciated most about this book is that it made me realize how immersed I was in algorithm culture。 I’ve been able to take a step back and truly seek content that is driven by my interests not a computer。 This book does a good job of not being a complete debby downer about the algorithm， but emphasize the importance of responsible personal curation of your internet habits。 The hope is that more people at least become more aware of the way algorithms rule our lives so we can make conscious decisions of where we spend our time。Things I didn’t like so much about this book:It was a slow start， felt more like a textbookWent on a bit long， and I felt like points were repeated multiple timesThe author is an op-ed journalist and at times this book felt more like a long-form article than a novel with a lot of anecdotal asides 。。。more
Kara
，
Having grown up right on the cusp of a childhood before social media existed and my teenage years during the early days （MySpace） it was interesting reading this from both perspectives。 Especially interesting were the ways in which people's worlds in a way have become smaller despite having a world of information at our fingertips。 Because our feeds and timelines are so narrowly focused based on what they think we'll like/want/click on， the algorithms really do flatten our experiences。 The best Having grown up right on the cusp of a childhood before social media existed and my teenage years during the early days （MySpace） it was interesting reading this from both perspectives。 Especially interesting were the ways in which people's worlds in a way have become smaller despite having a world of information at our fingertips。 Because our feeds and timelines are so narrowly focused based on what they think we'll like/want/click on， the algorithms really do flatten our experiences。 The best example was the promotion of books and art， and how things can go viral unexpectedly and quickly， leaving stores/sellers unable to cope with the sudden demand。 Or the example of the rise of "influencers" who don't actually create anything， and generally don't have anything to add to the cultural landscape other than a shallow culture of consumption and amassing followers and likes。 The book's main point is a cautionary tale about being mindful of how you are influenced to make certain choices and to think critically about your online world which is incredibly filtered and narrow thanks to algorithms putting us all into echo chambers of our own making。 。。。more
Madison ✨ （mad。lyreading）
，
4。5 stars。 A deep， critical examination into how algorithms have influenced culture， in a way that feels very， very real。 Will have you rethinking how you interact with the internet world and how it interacts with you。
Nathan
，
A really interesting and well articulated angle on the much-covered topic of how the internet is changing us， for better or （mostly） worse， on a societal and personal level。 I actually liked the sort of “jaded and disappointed aging hipster” tone of the book， since most tech-wary literature ends up with a major doomer vibe。 This dude just seems annoyed that art and music and culture are kind of boring and predictable now， which I totally relate with and enjoyed exploring。 Having said that， he do A really interesting and well articulated angle on the much-covered topic of how the internet is changing us， for better or （mostly） worse， on a societal and personal level。 I actually liked the sort of “jaded and disappointed aging hipster” tone of the book， since most tech-wary literature ends up with a major doomer vibe。 This dude just seems annoyed that art and music and culture are kind of boring and predictable now， which I totally relate with and enjoyed exploring。 Having said that， he does tend to go on tangents and give lengthy anecdotes that don’t really do much to bolster his points and feel like they’re just there to show how cool he is and how qualified he is to talk about aesthetic taste。 It could probably lose like 50 pages without losing anything really crucial。 Overall， though， it’s well done， well researched， thought provoking， and definitely worth a read。 It made me delete tiktok and instagram again。 4。2/5 hiroshi sato do go hard 。。。more
Tom
，
Good， but wished it were better。 A lot of the background about the internet and algorithms isn't needed and could have been used to grapple with nuances in his argument。 Yes， the dominance of algorithms can create a culture of sameness and homogeneity， but is today's culture worse than before？ It is not clear which periods we are comparing。 The internet and social media have led to an explosion of new content， all types of content， and allowed niche communities to connect。 Algorithms can facilit Good， but wished it were better。 A lot of the background about the internet and algorithms isn't needed and could have been used to grapple with nuances in his argument。 Yes， the dominance of algorithms can create a culture of sameness and homogeneity， but is today's culture worse than before？ It is not clear which periods we are comparing。 The internet and social media have led to an explosion of new content， all types of content， and allowed niche communities to connect。 Algorithms can facilitate this， so for me the question is rather than trying to escape them， how can we use them for good; how can people use algorithms to better curate their lives？ The book touches on these questions， but I wanted more。 。。。more
Jaylen
，
Brilliantly constructed and argued。 This is a fascinating and terrifying dissection of the vapidity of culture ruled by algorithms。 I loved how this centered on the necessary humanness of personal choice and taste， opposing passive consumption。 A book that I’ve been looking for without exactly realizing it！ If you’re reading this， you should read Filterworld。
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