Okay, so have you ever watched one video and suddenly your entire feed became about that same topic? Often times it feels like our phones are deciding who we are based on one moment. Before I read Estee Beck’s A Theory of Persuasive Computer Algorithms for Rhetorical Code Studies, I mostly thought algorithms were just data things that helped us find things we liked. However, Beck explains that persuasive computer algorithms can influence our thoughts, actions, and opportunities.
Who decides what we see?
After reading, one important moment I noted was that algorithms are not automatically normal just because they involve computers. Real people actually create them, which means their ideas and assumptions can become part of how those systems work. Beck discusses how algorithms organize information, include or exclude certain data, and carry the values of their creators.
For example, I can watch a few videos about expensive apartments. After this, there’s a chance that my feed can start showing me more of those. Then, there’s a chance my feed can start showing me that lifestyle repeatedly. Eventually, my own room might seem ugly, even though I was perfectly fine with it before. Although the algorithm is organizing content, this organization can also change what I want.
More than a personalized feed
What surprised me most was the example of someone’s credit limit being reduced because other customers at a store had poor repayment histories. Their own responsible behavior did not tell the whole story.
Overal, the main thing that I interpreted is that persuasive computer algorithms do much more than just make recommendations. They shape what becomes visible to us and how exactly people are judged. This, in turn, makes questioning their decisions worth our attention.
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