Streaming service algorithms don’t actually do what you think

Whether you like movies with a strong female lead or dystopian YA dramas or comfort reality TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and all the other streaming services are eager to show you content they think you might like. But for all the talk of algorithms that adjust to your viewing habits, you are never really in control of what gets suggested.

As much as your viewing habits influence what gets shown to you in various carousels across the many available streaming services, there is a limit to what you’re actually dictating. Netflix is very happy to let you think the algorithm is doing something, but there is no way to stop it from pushing what it wants. Here’s how algorithms really work.

Streamers want you to keep streaming

Providing content to keep you occupied

Firstly, the main goal of every streaming service is not awards, not prestige, and it’s not even necessarily money (just look at Apple TV+). The goal is to keep you logged in, streaming, and scrolling. The more time you spend with the service simply turned on, whether you are actually paying attention to what’s on the screen or not, is a win for the service.

That means that algorithms are designed in part to get you engaged. Everything is designed to keep you hooked on the service. You’ll notice carousels frequently changing, thumbnails regularly updating, and new banners popping up frequently in order to get your attention. While there exists a familiar framework from which you can navigate, small changes here and there keep you on your toes, if only subconsciously, so that you’re spending as much time as possible tuned in.

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Streamers compile a lot of data for different reasons

Some services want to know more about you

Algorithms take into consideration a lot of different information for different reasons. For example, Netflix isn’t particularly interested in helping you discover new content you might like. Instead, it is heavily invested in learning about your behavior and viewing habits (and your personal information) so that it can target you with things Netflix thinks you might like. With that information, it can also acquire and develop titles it thinks you will like as well.

Netflix titles include a ton of metadata with hyper-specific tags that they can use to build a profile of each user. It also looks at when you stream, how long you stream, and what kind of shows you are more likely to binge on and what titles you are more likely to skip. This is a departure from a service like Spotify that focuses more on the specific content of what you’re listening to in order to help you discover things you might like. Spotify looks at the content of what I’m enjoying and makes inferences, whereas Netflix will look at my behavior, analyzing whether I used subtitles or dubbing, and how quickly I watched the title to determine what I should see next.

Just because I watched Squid Game doesn’t necessarily mean to Netflix that I also want to watch Sweet Home or other violent Korean fare. It might infer that I’m into trendy content, or that I prefer binging seasons in their entirely across on weekend. Other streamers don’t quite have the catalog depth to be so advanced; just be mindful that the algorithm is serving the company and not the viewer.

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Algorithms need help and guidance to work

Viewers can lead recommendations astray

The algorithm doesn’t always get things right, and one of the reasons is that it can get confused. An algorithm might get overly enthusiastic about a particular title, suddenly pushing a lot of true crime docs after you only checked out one briefly. If more than one person with different viewing habits is sharing a profile, you might struggle to get a bead on what you want to watch.

You can even get penalized for trying out a show and not liking it. Just a few minutes of screen time can be interpreted as an endorsement of a title. And if you’re not making sure to rate titles, you also may not get the best outcomes when you’re scrolling for something to watch. Or maybe you want to search for a title or an actor out of curiosity; Netflix might think you are really interested.

Also, if you are just a worldly individual with a lot of different tastes, Netflix can get thrown off. If you’re watching foreign films, silly reality competition shows, old sitcoms, and prestige dramas, Netflix might struggle to pinpoint exactly what you want to watch next.

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Services push new and trendy titles

Timely material and high-profile originals get attention

However much you may resist big silly blockbusters, streamers are going to continue to promote them because they cost a lot of money, and they want them to do well. In particular, titles from Netflix and Amazon Prime Video that are objectively bad (recent films like G20 and The Electric State come to mind) will continue to be highlighted even if you have never shown any interest in them. This is in part because algorithms will also try to promote shows that lots of people are watching, even if you’re not the target audience.

Seasonal and trending content will also get high placement. Award-winning titles may get a new boost after collecting trophies, while anytime a popular actor dies, you’re likely to see their work featured prominently. Following the recent passing of Val Kilmer, for example, it was easy to come across the documentary Val on Amazon Prime. Crave in Canada, arguably the worst streaming service ever made, decided erroneously to put Batman & Robin under its trending titles, even though Kilmer was in Batman Forever.

It can become a vicious loop though. If something gets heavily promoted enough, and plenty of people are watching it, then it will show up in the Top Ten and get prominent placement, prompting others to check it out after seeing it enough. As much as you want to get away from certain titles and genres, if it’s an original piece of content or cost a lot to make or acquire, it’s going to come across your screen more often than you’d probably like.

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