How many times have each of us flipped through a plethora of TV stations only to decide that there's nothing to watch? With the ever growing libraries of services like Netflix and Hulu, it's increasingly likely that entertaining content is available- somewhere, but how do we find it? How much time did we spend clicking next or page down to finally arrive at our selection and what are the costs of that time?
The people running these services are not ignorant. They place a massive importance on user experience- so much so that Netflix awarded one million dollars in 2009 to a group that was able to improve their movie rating algorithm. These personalization algorithms are designed to help us find a variety of titles we will enjoy- quickly. The logic makes sense. If I, as a viewer, can find shows that I will like, I am more apt to continue using the service. Netflix makes money, I get entertainment, and we're both happy. However, if I'm not able to find something worth watching, I'll probably keep my money and cancel my Netflix subscription. To Netflix, that's an expensive alternative.
Although it may seem simple, forming quality movie recommendations is anything but. The development and implementation of these personalized suggestion algorithms requires an advanced analytics toolkit featuring a variety of tools including machine learning and data mining techniques. Despite the difficulties, these types of algorithms are becoming ever more common. We can find them personalizing the advertisements that show up on webpages we visit, influencing which updates appear on our social media feeds, and pairing us while we browse online dating sites.
Continuing to refine and improve these algorithms and the databases they pull from, to make even more accurate and tailored suggestions, will affect everything we do. We'll see more online advertisements focusing on products we are interested in, receive suggestions for movies we are more likely to enjoy, and maybe even meet that special someone.
I leave you with a thought. Sure it may be easier to find a movie we'll like, but do these personalization and predictive algorithms hinder our abilities to discover something new and expand our horizons? What can we do to fully enjoy the benefits of personalization while still pushing our bounderies for personal growth?
To learn more about personalization efforts, visit the links below:
Netflix Recommendations: Beyond the 5 stars
