#algorithmic-recommendations

#algorithmic-recommendations

And, make no mistake, they will be five songs you're really into right now, because that's how many of these services work-and it's not because everyone else has the same taste in music as you. For instance, any Spotify playlist that says "created for" in the header is catered to the individual user, based on their listening history. There's nothing wrong with that, necessarily-it can be nice to know you're going to hear songs you like. But there are downsides.

My journey on TikTok Shop started out with a search for "hip hop jewelry." It's an innocuous search query multiple users have likely typed in, hoping to find something to wear. While browsing the cheap jewelry, I was struck by what TikTok's algorithm repeatedly suggested that I might also be interested in: jewelry with blatant Nazi symbolism. TikTok continues to struggle with moderation as its in-app ecommerce store gains traction with younger users.

The details are fuzzy, but I think my husband and I downloaded the YouTube Kids app to our TV sometime in 2022, when between one and three members of the household came down with the flu at the same time. Like countless parents of toddlers before us, we needed something, anything, that would buy us a moment to vomit in peace.

Technology's impact on adolescents and young boys has been the subject of discussion and concern for decades. This new wave of AI tools has tightened the loop between technology and culture, with technology influencing mindsets and behavior and vice versa. An October 2025 report by Common Sense Media coined the term "digital masculinity" to describe the ways in which masculinity is defined, conveyed, and negotiated online specifically.