Can you delete dog videos?

Can you delete dog videos? My 5-year-old asked me the other day.

She was showing YouTube on the phone which had dogs in videos after another. She is only seeing dog videos and she wants me to delete them and see something of her taste.

My 9-year-old is fond of pets and keeps watching dogs and other pets on the same YoutTube and phone. The YouTube algorithm was yet to recognise that a different user with different interests is now using it!

The same phone is used by my mother as well. She watches “Big Boss” videos one after another.

There is something for all of us to understand here about how the algorithms behind YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and such, work and how that can shape our beliefs and action. Before that, let me share a true story from my extended family.

Two sisters, one a housewife and the other working for the government live nearby. Gardening is a passion for the latter and does that as a small business. She goes on YouTube only to check videos related to gardening. The former, in between her daily chores, spends time on YouTube. Particularly, she follows multiple cases and news around the Malayalam film actor, Dileep.

One day they both were chatting. The former shared a ‘breaking news’ in the Dileep case. The latter, even though curious, was not aware of it. She asked for details. The former curiously asked ‘aren’t you checking Youtube?’. Latter replied, ‘yes, I did today as well but did not see any’. The former was surprised ‘how come?! it was there at around 1 PM on YouTube! Probably you did not check YouTube at that time!’.

They both do not know that they are on completely different YouTube, made for them with the help of algorithms. YouTube has created a world of videos around them that they want to see. The same happens on all social media - Facebook, Instagram and such.

We can surround our world with gardening, K-Pop, god, politics, cooking, cricket, self-improvement, film stars, hatred, books, cancer, tourist locations and more. The underlying algorithm monitors our choices. We will be creating a microcosm around us that will harden our beliefs. We will not explore anything outside and tend to believe this is what matters to the world and us in this day and time.

We will follow our sports team with greater zeal. Our political beliefs will get strengthened to the extent that we want to eliminate the others. We will harden our worship of gods and celebrities. We will harden our hatred against another community. We will harden our fears. Every stranger can be a killer. Every young man with an uncommon beard, hairstyle or dress is taking ‘stuff’.

This is where we have to appreciate the beauty of a Newspaper in our life. Newspaper brings to us the curated news from across the world. There is the suffering of people from Ukraine and the celebration of Neeraj Chopra winning another gold. There is Adani buying another business entity and the economy losing its steam. There is Amit Shah on ‘Agneepath’ and Jay Shah on ‘Crorepath’ with IPL! There is waterlogged city and Silverline. There is a son washing her mother’s legs and another killing his mother. Newspapers bring to us the life around us. A mix of everything!

Yes, Newspaper has their own flaws. The editor and the owner can influence what gets printed. If we are aware of it, Newspapers still bring a better worldview to us.

The Internet can bring the world to you. But the algorithm can still decide what you get to read or watch next. Break your algorithm and break the microcosm. You will be surprised to see the world beyond!