Gratitude as Algorithmic Intimacy

I once had a partner who refused to share his YouTube algorithm with me (insisting I use my own account, not his, on the TV). At first I thought this was a red flag. But after reflection, I realized that the algorithms that feed us have become hyper-personalized. He was right—our feeds are too intimate to risk reshaping with someone else’s random click.

Every reader spends their most finite resource: time. To sit with an article—even just for a few minutes—is to make a small but real investment. That alone is a gift, and one worth acknowledging.

A like or follow, however, carries another layer. It doesn’t just signal approval—it bends the algorithm. It reshapes tomorrow’s feed, altering the rhythm of what you’ll see, what you might discover, and what ideas you’ll encounter. That’s not trivial; it’s intimate.

So thank you—for lending us your time, and sometimes even your algorithm. Both forms of engagement matter. One is silent and inward, the other visible and algorithmic, but each is valuable in its own right.

And to creators reading this: remember that your audience pays in more currencies than you think. Not just clicks, not just metrics, but with the balance of their future attention. Treat that with the respect it deserves.

---