Despite how much work the algorithm puts in to understand what we truly want, we are never going to be served up stuff that we want to see all the time. 

Perhaps one day, the technology will be advanced enough that we will only see the content that caters to us, but for now, we have to put up with the lottery that is wherever we choose to waste our time on the internet.

When our main goal is to enjoy a bit of pleasant distraction, such moments can be irritating. They break the illusion that our little corner of internet culture exists solely for our enjoyment. However, it’s possible to view these experiences from a more generous perspective as well. The presence of content we don’t care about can actually heighten our appreciation for the posts that back in the heyday of Tumblr, we might have reblogged with the tag ‘#me’. Without the contrast, the things we love would not stand out so much.

Also, having to sift through less interesting material when we want that sweet dopamine reward gives us a sense of accomplishment. The act of searching and discovering can feel a bit like striking gold, even if the effort that it took was minimal. Framing the experience this way helps us maintain a positive outlook, and understand that all of these platforms at our disposal are here to entertain us. By focusing on the upside, we can turn the annoyances into part of what makes the enjoyment more satisfying.