Book Review: Kyle Chayka’s Filterworld is a Satisfying Exploration into the Algorithmic Flattening of Culture

Published in 2023, Kyle Chayka’s Filterworld evokes the satisfaction of discovering a word that perfectly captures a relatable, hyper-specific feeling. Often referred to as “sonder,” this sensation is the satisfying recognition of finding a word that perfectly encapsulates a specific, often fleeting, emotional experience. In Filterworld, sonder is primarily derived from Chayka’s investigation into “algorithmic anxiety” and the way algorithmically-powered content distribution systems are flattening our culture into uniform, unending, recursive pieces of content designed for nothing more than maximizing profit. Specifically, Chayka diagnoses culture as one of many pathways through which algorithms influence and shape our perceptions of the world around us—and, more importantly, ourselves. Through exploration of the intimate relationship between the culture we digest and our conceptions of the “self,” Chayka ultimately settles on manual curation as a solution. A process of deliberate content discovery and selection, manual curation unseats the algorithmic recommendation as our default tool for cultural navigation. Manual curation, as Chayka argues, allows individuals to reclaim their cultural agency and engage in the beneficial identity-forming process of developing “taste.”

Though he is not the first to define “algorithmic anxiety,” or “the burgeoning awareness that we must constantly contend with automated technological processes beyond our understanding and control,” Chayka’s BuzzFeedian writing style pares down the usual academic jargon, delivering a digestible and uniquely relatable read. While my use of the word “BuzzFeedian” may sound pejorative, I can assure you it is not. As I’ve discovered within my own life, it is difficult to relate to others experiencing the latent anxiety of existing in an online environment entrenched with algorithms because the sensation is ephemeral in nature, and its source is rendered deliberately opaque. When Chayka describes algorithmic anxiety as stemming from a “dramatically asymmetrical relationship between user and algorithm” that “places the burden of action on the individual” and concludes that algorithms have “displaced our own agency,” he empowers individuals with the vocabulary required to open this important conversation with others.

Additionally, while Chayka is also not the first to call attention to the way in which algorithmically-powered content distribution systems are flattening our culture into uniform, unending, recursive pieces of content optimized to generate profit, his discussion of the algorithmically-driven paradigm shift of popular culture toward familiarity and sameness puts words to a feeling that is hard to describe but readily experienced. In particular, I believe Chayka nails this argument in his discussion of the Netflix series Emily in Paris. It is truly undeniable how devoid of passion much of pop culture today feels. Large corporations, driven by greed, mine veins of nostalgia until the very source material that once made that content feel special has been soured. For readers who haven’t previously been made aware of the mechanisms by which online content is algorithmically constructed, presented, and measured, the first half of this book will be nothing short of a revelation.

I say the first half for a reason, however. The book is a pleasant reading experience until the novelty of sonder wears off and Chayka ramps up the amount of personal anecdotes that he inserts within his writing at the beginning of Chapter 4. This bloats an otherwise interesting book up to this point with privileged personal experiences that meander aimlessly and detract from the solid arguments he was making in the book’s first half. At first, I thought it could have just been me finding Chayka’s first-person influencer perspective corny and unrelatable. In fact, my distaste for the tonal shift in Chapter 4 was so strong that I sought out Goodreads to see if others felt similarly disillusioned with the writing. Unfortunately, as others have pointed out, the second half of the book is marred with tangential writing that loosely connects to the themes of the first half. Specific passages that were personal gripes of mine include when Chayka deems Twitter a “metaphorical colosseum” where users pass judgment through likes (did you know thumbs up and thumbs down decided a gladiator’s fate and it looks just like the like button on Facebook?) and when he calls Netflix’s Chef’s Table “the audiovisual equivalent of perfect linen bedsheets.” Eye-rolling aside, I don’t think I’m being too harsh when I say Filterworld could be two-thirds its current length and retain the same educational value.

Overall, Filterworld is a great entry-level book for those who have experienced the Internet in its current state and felt off-put enough to find words for their feelings. To diagnose the underlying psychological effects of algorithms and expose the harmful side effects of denatured online content through the lens of culture is a great way to make these concepts accessible to a wider audience and constrict these abstract ideas to a tangible medium that many are familiar with. Thanks to Chayka’s writing in Filterworld, I would expect academics will be prompted to conduct further research into the complex relationship between online content consumption, choice, taste, and our sense of agency. Building on Chayka’s ideas, I’d like to end this review by highlighting a notion he mentions—one that I deeply believe in: question what is free, and question what is easy. If it’s monetarily free, by what axis are you paying? If it’s easy, why? Heuristics are easy, reality is hard. Remember that.