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The might of algorithms – and what it says about choice

Once upon a time we went to a shop and rented a VHS or a DVD, we spoke to humans and sought recommendations. Now, what we watch is often guided by algorithms but is that a good thing, asks Ryan Coogan

Monday 21 November 2022 21:30 GMT
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<p>What do you want to watch tonight? </p>

What do you want to watch tonight?

I was watching Netflix recently and a show called Blockbuster popped up on my list of recommendations. It’s a 10-episode Netflix original sitcom that shares a lot of DNA with shows like Superstore and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, about a fictionalised version of the last Blockbuster video store in the US.

The show’s fine, though there’s something about it I feel is borderline obscene. This is a comedy show about how the rise of streaming platforms killed off the video rental industry. It’s like watching a serial killer write taunting letters to the police, daring them to catch him.

It’s strange to see Netflix make a show that so blatantly exposes what I see as the flaws in the streaming model. One of the running themes of Blockbuster is that sites like Netflix didn’t just kill off the movie rental industry, but also fundamentally transformed the relationship that people have with the media that they consume. Travelling to a specific location, asking for recommendations from knowledgeable flesh-and-blood employees, making a choice about that evening’s entertainment, and being tied to that choice for the entire evening are all things that have been relegated to a nostalgic past along with Pogs and cassette tapes.

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