The Influence of Algorithms and Opinions
Lately, Iâve been noticing something that feelsâŠoff. Social media, TV, and advertising are shaping our minds in ways that arenât always obvious. Take Netflixâs K-Pop Demon Hunters, no shade to the movie, but personally, I could not get into it. I tried on three different occasions. The storyline didnât grab me, the music didnât stick. Yet everywhere I looked, I saw reels, articles, and posts praising it, talking about how it was basically the best thing to hit the music scene since Beyonce.
And when someone asked me about it in conversation, I found myself saying I enjoyed it even though I didnât. Its not like I wanted to avoid the back-and-forth, the defense, the âwhy donât you like it?â stuff. It was just the first thing to pop into my brainđŹ. My actual opinion had been overruled by what social media told me I should think. And itâs happening all the time, in both small and large ways.
Social media and the Internet are designed to pummel our brains, our serotonin and dopamine levels, with repeated opinions over and over. Even when we try to block, restrict, or ignore content, the algorithm still pushes similar posts. Iâm very strict with my algorithm. My block button is busy baby, but even content Iâve never engaged with finds a way back in. And it isnât just about repetition. Itâs about shaping our thinking, slowly, subtly, and relentlessly.
Half-Baked Thoughts Everywhere đ°đ€Ż
Influencers play a big role in this. Too often, they post content that is shallow, click-baitey, or designed to inflame rather than educate. People arenât reading, thinking, or analyzing; they’re parroting half-baked thoughts. And those half-baked thoughts get repeated. Before you know it, we have too many people whose thinking is shallow, whose opinions are surface-level, and who donât critically evaluate what theyâre consuming.
This isnât just about memes or TikToks. This is the same problem on Twitter, on Threads, in Instagram posts, broad, sweeping statements with zero nuance. Big influencers, small influencers, local influencers none of them seem to be thinking about the impact of what they post, only the increase in their bank account.
When people accept those half-baked ideas as their own, it multiplies. We end up with groups of people incapable of critical thought, repeating incomplete ideas, and spreading them further. And if we canât think critically as a society, how can we move forward collectively?
Childrenâs Media: Short Attention Spans, Shallow Content
The problem extends to childrenâs TV as well. Iâve monitored Coziâs screen time carefully, letting her watch shows like Paw Patrol and Gabbyâs Dollhouse. At first, it seemed harmless. But the more I observed, the more I noticed that episodes are shorter, and the shows are endlessly franchised with variations of the same show.
This isnât fostering imagination or critical thinking. Itâs training attention spans to be short and creating distraction for distractionâs sake. Our children are consuming content that doesnât challenge them, doesnât provoke thought, and doesnât encourage meaningful conversation.
I want TV that my child can watch and then talk about with me content that sparks curiosity, builds memory, and teaches problem-solving. Not shows designed to babysit. When I grew up, shows like Crash Box or Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child had nuance, imagination, and care. That kind of thoughtful, complex programming is disappearing, replaced by franchise expansion and profit-driven decisions đž.
Adult Entertainment and Cultural Impact đđ
This trend stretches beyond kids television. Black adult entertainment, particularly on platforms like Zeus Network, has become increasingly vulgar, lowbrow, and raunchy. Black and white celebrity content alike suffers from sensationalism, stereotypes, and glorification of low vibrational lifestyles but I am noticing a purposeful and rapid shift in terms of black entertainment.
Shows that once had intentionality like The Cosby Show (say what you will), which included guidance from psychologists to ensure storylines portrayed healthy interactions and moral lessons centered around an African American family are rare today. What weâre seeing now are shows filled with toxic relationships, unexamined privilege, and low-quality storytelling, lacking the care and intentionality that once made programming meaningful and impactful.
Influencers mirror this trend. Many glorify partying, substance use, and shallow lifestyles without engaging in civic action, community building, or thoughtful discussion. The content they produce isnât neutral itâs shaping perceptions, influencing children, and creating norms.
Raising Standards and Protecting Minds
So what can we do? First, we need to become intentional about what we consume. Who produces the media? Who owns the shows and networks? What values are being promoted? Which influencers do we follow, and are they modeling behavior we want our children to emulate? Are they modeling lifestyles that negatively impact the greater good?
We have to demand more for ourselves and for the younger generation. Accepting the status quo, the half-baked thoughts, shallow programming, and algorithmic manipulation guarantees we remain intellectually stagnant and reduces the quality of life for ourselves and our children.
Before you retweet, repost, or let a child watch a show, pause. Ask: does this content align with my values? Is it creating a better, smarter, more thoughtful world?
đĄ Closing Thought
Messy Mondays isnât just about cleaning the house, itâs about thinking critically, choosing intentionally, and shaping the environment around us. Social media and TV are powerful, and the messages we allow into our homes matter. Half-baked thoughts donât have to become our half-baked lives. Letâs raise our standards, protect our minds, and demand better for the children, communities, and culture we care about đ±
