How Algorithms Decide What We Read

When I was a kid, I saw my grandparents buying novels, magazines, and newspapers regularly from the small shop at the end of our street. At the same time, I also saw my dad using a local library to borrow more books. Once they had all their books at home, in the evenings or on weekends everyone would discuss the stories, the authors, the genres, and what they liked or didn’t like.

Just through these conversations, awareness about certain books would spread, and it often acted as a form of marketing for new or lesser-known books. It also allowed people to explore a wide variety of genres they might not have discovered otherwise. Reading was not just personal; it was social and organic.

But now, in the age of modern technology, it feels like algorithms are deciding what we read. It shows us what is popular, trending, or similar to what we have already read. That means we might miss out on genres, authors or stories outside our usual patterns. The surprise element of stumbling upon something completely different is reduced.

Our reading becomes narrower, less exploratory and more predictable. The excitement of discovering a hidden gem or a book recommended by a friend gets replaced by digital suggestions that are designed to keep us clicking, buying, and consuming. Reading should be about curiosity, discovery and the joy of wandering into unknown worlds.

Algorithms are useful and needed but they should not replace the human element such as conversations, recommendations, and the excitement of choosing a book on instinct. So try to have a convo with the fellow book buddies and try to read and discover more books than ever.

This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2025