The numerous ways we have to access entertainment are wild. Many great streaming services bring impressive TV shows, movies, podcasts, music, and more to various streaming devices, like the Google TV Streamer. Whether it is a movie you want to see or a series you watch over and over, the world of entertainment has never been so accessible or personalized.
At least that’s what it’s supposed to be, and for the most part, it is. However, no matter the streaming service, the algorithm that helps the platform know what to recommend to you can get bogged down or be wrong. Sometimes it can be obvious that our streaming recommendations have reached the point where it feels like something is just off. Here are the signs that it could be time for a reset.
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Ready for something new
Boring…
Some may say, “How could you get bored with so much out there to watch?” While that may be true given the seemingly constant onslaught of content released daily, there is still plenty of room to be bored. This mostly comes down to the systems that work behind the scenes to provide recommendations getting so dialed in that everything surfaced seems to blend together.
Oftentimes, I hop onto Netflix to find something to watch. When I look at the list of shows I saved to watch, I don’t feel like checking any of them out. So, I see what’s in the recommended category. Frequently, those recommendations are things I added or feel like the same thing. It can be frustrating when I know there are new things I might be interested in, but I don’t remember the names or enough info to find them. This is where resetting the algorithm for recommendations comes in.
If you watch the same type of shows frequently, the system hones its recommendations to suggest content that matches well with what you’ve seen. This means that from what you watch to what is recommended, it will seem like there’s nothing on Netflix. Because, according to what you’ve told the streaming service, you only like goofy comedies that came out in the mid-90s to early 2000s. When you feel like something else, the service doesn’t know what to offer. So, here, a reset of preferences is a great idea.
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Feeling too familiar
Haven’t I seen this?
Much like the section above, the streaming service continues to recommend shows that seem identical, even if they aren’t. Sometimes, the shows that are suggested are the same. Like, actually the same shows. I’ve had this issue on a few services, which can be frustrating. The last thing you want when trying to relax and decompress is to fire up Hulu on your favorite streaming device and only see stuff you’ve already seen. Then you have to search for something to watch, which is one more thing you have to do.
There are times when the algorithm can get dialed in to your preferences and recommend a lot of similar content, and sometimes it gets too dialed in. Perhaps the system gets lazy or gets bound up and is stuck, only showing the same things over and over. Regardless of the reason, it happens and is a clear sign it’s time to do a reset.
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Feeling exposed
Your data, that is
As users of modern technology, hardware, and software, most people freely give away their data to companies. There are times when the company you allow to access your information sells it to you, maybe one you don’t know or trust. Whether we realize it or not, the streaming services that many of us covet get a lot of our personal info. We provide common things like credit card info, location, name, and more. We also tell a lot about our personalities.
Every time we tell a streaming platform about the types of shows we like and whether something we just watched was a thumbs up or down, we inform the system of our preferences. On the surface, it is entertainment content that we’re training the system. Still, that data could be a building block to train AI to know your personality.
Just as it is important to set up a schedule to erase your Google search history, we should do the same for our streaming services. This isn’t a sign that will be overly obvious, which is a good thing. If you get emails or are contacted about your viewing history, there is a problem. Reset your viewing preferences to reduce the chances that your data is within your streaming services. Doing so should remove personal viewing data from the backend and the algorithm. This allows you to reset your preferences and get new recommendations.
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Time to start over
Nuke it
If you’re like me, sometimes you hit a wall and have a moment where you say, “I’m starting over.” Every now and then, I feel I need a refresh. Sometimes it’s a haircut, resetting my smart home devices, or streaming recommendations. Whether it is an obvious sign to do a reset or a feeling, when you get an idea, it’s time to go.
There are times when that reset not only removes clutter and repetition from our preferred content platforms, but also from our brains. That feeling of accomplishing something and knowing that something that was bugging you is now complete and ready to be forgotten. It’s also nice, even if not the point of the reset, that after the cleanse is complete, you can open your streaming service and find fresh recommendations to enjoy clutter removal further.
Sometimes, all we need is a reset
It doesn’t matter whether you use an Amazon Fire TV Cube or a Google Chromecast. There are more ways to use your Chromecast than sending video from your phone. The software and systems running on those devices can use a reset every now and then. It could be an obvious sign to do a refresh, like when the same content is recommended to you over and over, or it may be your regularly scheduled time to clear it out to remove personal data. Whatever the reason, when you reset your recommendations, your streaming services will be fresh and exciting again.
