I wish I grew up in a world without the algorithm.

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I hate the algorithm.

I might be one of the only 18-year-olds to say it, but I resent those who grew up outside of the digitally consumed era.

They experienced childhood without a screen constantly competing for their attention. They knew boredom before boredom became something we could instantly eliminate.

Except I don't really mean it.

Call me a hypocrite, because I am just as dependent on it as every other 18-year-old, or any teenager for that matter.

I crave a TikTok doomscroll after sitting in a classroom for hours. I rely on Spotify to decide what I should listen to, Google to decide what information I should find and Instagram to decide what I should be influenced to waste my money on next.

I can blame the addictive nature of the algorithm on its fundamental purpose of maximising users' attention and engagement by feeding us what it thinks we want to see, based on our previous activity. Yet we aren't forced to keep scrolling.

I say I want a world without the algorithm, yet when Australia's under-16 social media ban came into effect, I was relieved I missed it by a year. The reality of a world without the algorithm scared me.

How would I watch my favourite influencers' vlogs?

What if I missed the latest trends?

When I'm bored, what would I do?

It's safe to say the algorithm has served its purpose on me.

And that is exactly why I think my generation needs to be talking about it.

I like my personalised playlists.........

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