A new thought about the nasty social media algorithms.
If you’re paying attention you know most of them are NOT echo chambers. Most of them give you less of what you like and more of what you hate. (There are exceptions.)
I’ve noticed that blocking and reporting the DULL REPETITIVE CRAP is sort of satisfying, even though I know the blocking and reporting has no effect on the crap throwers. They just keep handing me EXACTLY the type of shit I block and report. My pattern is extremely consistent, should be detected by even the simplest algorithms.
Why do I keep doing it? Why is it halfway satisfying, not 100% frustrating?
New thought: It’s a digital version of the default ballgame like baseball or tennis. Pinball, and early pinball-simulating videogames, followed the same pattern. An enemy throws shit at you and you throw it back. Most mammals enjoy bouncing things back and forth, so it’s pretty damn basic.
Digital blockball induces the same satisfaction but the GAME is missing. In baseball and tennis you change sides. When you succeed at defense you get a turn at offense. In pinball you see points mount up on the board, and a win gives you a free game. In digital blockball you’re always on defense. The shit doesn’t stop. There’s no REWARD for effective bounceback.
Polistra's Mill 