Breaking Up With Autoplay
Not Letting Algorithms Decide What I Listen To + Watch
It started innocently enough—just one song, one show, one suggested video.
The autoplay feature was there to help. “Let us keep the vibe going,” it promised. “We’ve got you,” it whispered as the next song rolled in or a new series queued up.
But now, I find myself regularly hours deep in content I didn’t ask for, watching or listening to things I don’t even like.
Somewhere along the way, autoplay stopped being auto-convenient and started becoming auto-controlling. So I’ve decided: I’m breaking up with autoplay.
For the record, I can waste my time all by myself.
I’m a pro time waster. I’m sure I’m not alone.
THE ILLUSION OF PERSONALIZATION
The streaming services love to boast about their recommendation engines.
They say they know me. That their algorithms are built to delight me with content I will love. And once in a while, they do strike gold. A great indie artist who’s songs are new-to-me. A quirky docuseries I devour in a weekend.
But for every hit? There are dozens of misses—songs that feel like they were picked by someone who skimmed my playlist titles but never actually listened. Shows that check off superficial genre boxes but miss the emotional mark completely.
It’s like having a robot speed-date for you and then wondering why you’re dating someone you’d never even talk in real life. (Remember real life? It still exists!)
AUTOPLAY IS NOT CURATING—IT’S CORRALLING
What autoplay really does is flatten the experience. It dulls the edges of taste and curiosity. Instead of asking, ”What do I want to listen to right now?” I am left being swept along in an endless loop of "more of the same."
But discovery doesn’t live in sameness—it lives in surprises, contradictions, and sometimes even discomforts.
Autoplay doesn’t challenge me. It doesn’t ask me questions. It doesn’t know that I want to listen to punk rock one minute and watch a romcom the next.
Autoplay assumes our tastes are linear. But the truth is what we like changes all the time. Our tastes are messy and moody. And that’s what makes us human.
THE JOY OF HUMAN CURATION
You know what I trust more than algorithms? People. The friend who sends me a song and says, “This reminded me of you.” The playlist a coworker made for a long drive. The social media post from someone I follow who raves about a show that “wrecked them in the best way.”
Even when I don’t end up liking the recommendation, I respect it. Because it came with context, care, and intent. Human curation adds soul to the stream.
Algorithms try to guess my vibe. Humans understand my heart.
MAKING ROOM FOR INTENTIONAL CHOICES
Breaking up with autoplay doesn’t mean I’m ditching streaming services. But it does mean I’m reclaiming the driver’s seat. Going forward, I’ll be taking the time to search, to explore, to choose.
I’m building my own music playlists again—songs that span decades and moods, not just genres. I’m curating my watchlists too, adding shows and videos I genuinely want to watch, not just what’s trending.
FINAL THOUGHTS
We live in a world where everything is fighting for our attention.
Autoplay pretends to be helpful, but often it’s just noise in disguise. There’s nothing wrong with letting yourself be surprised or inspired by something new—but let you be the one who chooses what that is.
So next time you hear that familiar next-track transition, ask yourself:
Did I choose this? Or did autoplay choose it for me?
Because life’s too damn short to waste on background noise.
Keep calm and carry on!
Clint 🌈✌️
HOW TO DISABLE AUTOPLAY
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PORTRAIT + QUOTES OF THE DAY
“The public has always expected me to be a playboy, and a decent chap never lets his public down.”
Errol Flynn
“It isn't what they say about you, it's what they whisper.”
Errol Flynn
What a wonderful suggestion. Take back the control of your remote control is indeed one step nearer to controlling mindfully and in awareness your life.
My music taste is so wildly unpredictable that autoplay threw up its digital hands, crashed itself in despair, and now just loops manifestation music to cope.