jason_lewis3•2mo agoMost Upvoted

I finally stopped trying to outsmart my feed and just told it what I wanted

For months, my YouTube suggestions were a mess of old news clips and weird cooking videos because I'd clicked on one random thing. I was convinced the algorithm was broken. Last week, I started using the 'Not Interested' and 'Don't Recommend Channel' buttons on every single off-topic video for three days straight. My homepage cleared up and now actually shows new woodworking projects again. Has anyone else found that just being blunt with the feedback tools actually works?

4 comments

4 Comments

knight.dylan2mo ago

Spencer's right about it being a hard reset. It's like the algorithm has a super short attention span and latches onto your last few clicks. You have to consistently tell it "no" to break that pattern, otherwise it just keeps digging the same hole. What other platforms have you found this works on?

spencer_owens582mo ago

I read a tech blog that said the "not interested" button is basically a hard reset for the algorithm's short-term memory. It told the system you watched that one weird video, but you don't want that to become your whole personality. I had to do the same thing after my nephew used my account and I got stuck with toy unboxing videos for weeks.

blair_taylor322mo ago

Honestly, it's less about the algorithm being broken and more that it's just too eager to please. It grabs onto any little click like it's a major life event. You have to train it like a puppy, and those feedback buttons are the treats.

jamie9401mo ago

Started doing the exact same thing with Instagram after it decided I was a fitness influencer because I looked at one protein powder ad. Hit "not interested" on every single workout reel and supplement post for about a week, and now my explore page is back to showing me mostly metalworking and old sci-fi movie clips. It actually felt ridiculous how well it worked once I stopped being lazy about it. What kind of content got buried for you before you started cleaning yours up?