How do algorithms subtly shape our taste? How do you find what lies outside the recommendation system, even if you might like it? — Questions whose answers can be found in this article.
Author’s Project
October 2026
The Information Bubble: How Algorithms Shape Our Taste
We think we choose our music and books ourselves, but what if we don’t? Perhaps your favorite novel isn’t among the top sellers but is tucked away deep on the shelf. What if your favorite track isn’t from the Yandex Music charts, but the one you stumbled upon on the street? The reality is that algorithms designed for convenience deprive us of the chance for unexpected discoveries that could change our lives.How Recommendation Systems Limit Us
To understand why this happens, we need to look at three concepts: the «echo chamber, ” the „information bubble, ” and the „information cocoon.“The term „information bubble“ was introduced by internet activist Eli Pariser in 2011. He described how the search and social media algorithms create a personalized feed for every user. Only content that matches our interests—what we like and share—is included, while everything else is hidden depending on the nature of our digital footprint.The phrase „echo chamber“ originates from acoustics—it refers to a space where sound repeatedly reflects off the walls and is amplified. In the mid-twentieth century, this metaphor began to be used to describe situations where an idea becomes entrenched through repetition. As American jurist Cass Sunstein warned in the early 2000s, the internet might not bring people together; rather, it could trap them in homogeneous groups. Here, it is less the algorithm than the insularity of the community—where the same ideas circulate and reinforce themselves—that plays a role.The „information cocoon“ is a state where a person voluntarily avoids information that is uncomfortable for them. The term was proposed by American scientist Cass Sunstein in 2006 in his book *Infotopia*. He compared this behavioral pattern to the silk moth’s cocoon: we shelter ourselves in a shell of familiar ideas and do not want to emerge. Here, only personal choice is at work—whether conscious or not—we choose only the content we have already deemed interesting.Our Musical Preferences
Open your playlist on VK or Yandex Music. How many artists and bands are there? And how many genres? There are probably too many to count on one hand. Musical taste has a unique formation mechanism: it often arises from unexpected discoveries. Yet, recommendations and systems like «My Wave» restrict users who, perhaps after listening to jazz or neo-folk, might have discovered a whole new world.
How We Choose Books
It works the same way in literature. Often, when people choose books, they consult lists such as «Top 100 Novels Everyone Must Read» or rely on recommendations from services and online libraries, causing all other works to be overlooked.
Book bloggers also follow algorithms: a review of a popular book will garner more views than one of an unknown title, which is why the same names and authors appear across different channels. Many books by contemporary writers that could offer fresh perspectives and astonishing ideas remain unnoticed.
What About Classics?
Undoubtedly, classics form the foundation of cultural code. There are works without which much of modern art remains incomprehensible—citations and allusions lose their meaning if the original source is unknown. Therefore, studying classics is important—even just to understand works that refer to them.
However, only reading and watching what the majority has approved of is also a limitation. When choices are based on ratings and obligatory lists, we are following someone else’s opinion, not our own interest. In the end, we understand the classics, but we don’t know our own preferences.
Why Don’t We Realize This?
People rarely notice that they are in an information bubble—research confirms this. Scientists Ludovic Terren and Rosa Borche-Bravo compiled 55 scientific papers on this issue and compared their findings: the results showed that 24 out of 43 studies analyzing user behavior online documented the presence of echo chambers. In 11 studies where people were asked if they noticed the limitations of their content, almost no one admitted it. In the moment, we don’t realize that certain content is being hidden from us. By remaining in an information bubble, we stay within our comfort zone—the information is always predictable and potentially interesting.
However, it is possible to move beyond the algorithms. Ethan Bakhshi’s analysis of data from 10.1 million users showed that a person’s personal choices limit their worldview more than recommendation systems. Therefore, interest is the main weapon against the information bubble.
How to Move Beyond Algorithms
Go Offline Visit libraries where books are shelved alphabetically, not based on popular rankings or user reviews. Attend a music festival where the DJ plays what they like, rather than what has accumulated the most streams and tops the charts. Go to a small cinema that screens films regardless of streaming platform ratings. Pay attention to the flyers on your local bulletin board instead of scrolling through social media feeds. In real life, nobody is collecting data on you, and therefore, the choices are broader. Yes, this kind of searching takes more time, but the result can be surprising.
Change the Subject of Conversation Spend more time with people whose tastes differ from your own. Furthermore, ask not just what you both like, but about things you haven’t heard about before. What books does this person read? What music do they listen to? Which films do they rewatch? And make sure to ask why. This way, you will discover not only new names and titles but also the reasons why they deserve your attention.
Actively Seek the Opposite You cannot know if you will like neo-folk if you have never listened to it. The algorithm doesn’t understand this, which is why it doesn’t suggest it. Subscribe to a critic you disagree with, listen to a music genre you previously dismissed as «not your thing,» or pick up a book by an author whose views seem foreign to you at first glance. Do this not to agree with them, but to discover something new for yourself.
Maintain a List of Unexplored Interests Taste grows not from what you already like, but from what you unexpectedly discover. Jot down genres, writers, and directors you have heard of but have never started to study. Make sure to include things you didn’t know about at all before—whether it’s Japanese poetry or heavy metal. Periodically select one item from your list. In a year, your list of favorite works will likely be expanded.
