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Eric's avatar

The insight about Netflix disguising the same show with different thumbnails for each user hit me hard. I once clicked on a movie simply because the poster featured a musical note, assuming it was about jazz only to discover it was a teen romance. It was such a bizarre experience and it reminded me how my streaming platform seems to know exactly which “visual cues” I’ll fall for. It’s both fascinating and unnerving to realize how easily we can be nudged toward watching something we’d normally skip.

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Georgina's avatar

That is so true. I never gave much thoughts to the thumbnails - and I guess that's part of the tactic - but they definitely influence how I watch.

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Georgina's avatar

It’s comforting to imagine that the search for depth - real depth - is as timeless as art itself.

There’s something poetic about the idea that, no matter how algorithms homogenize our culture, there will always be a counter-current.

I’ve always felt drawn to spaces that thrive in spite of systems, like tiny bookstores or niche blogs, and I can’t help but believe that these small rebellions are where the soul of art continues to breathe.

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John Pucay's avatar

These small, resilient spaces are proof that authenticity always finds a way to survive:)

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Eliza Ara's avatar

Man, that Walmart analogy hit home. I grew up in a town where we had this tiny, family-owned music shop. Quirky little place, smelled like old vinyl. And it didn’t stand a chance when a chain store popped up. Same thing now with platforms like TikTok and YouTube steamrolling smaller creators. It’s not just about losing “choices”; it’s like the whole vibe changes when the small guys can’t keep up.

Makes me think about how much we, as consumers, play a role in this cycle. Maybe where we spend our clicks is just as important as where we spend our dollars.

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John Pucay's avatar

Where we spend our clicks does shape the ecosystem, just like shopping local keeps small businesses alive. It’s frustrating how easy it is to fall into the convenience trap, though.

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