Algorithm Overload: Why consumers are muting you right now (Pt.1)

About this series
This is the first in a three-part series drawn from We Live Context’s whitepaper, Beyond the Algorithm, created to help brand strategists decode the emotional undercurrents driving consumer behaviour in a world increasingly shaped by AI and algorithms. Across the series, we’ll explore why audiences are tuning out, how they’re actively reclaiming control from algorithmic environments, and what this means for brands navigating a landscape of mistrust, fatigue, and sameness. Each part offers insight to help reposition your brand with greater relevance, creativity, and emotional resonance in a post-personalisation world.

In 2025, ongoing global political and cultural unrest continue to shape behaviours. Once-safe community-driven platforms feel hijacked by algorithmically pushed content. Even Facebook introduced a “Friends Tab” to revive its original experience as users try to escape the barrage. Consumers are no longer passive; they have a basic understanding of algorithm’s mechanics. Personalisation now feels invasive and out of control, with over-targeting, irrelevant ads, and repetition creating more disconnection.

Algorithmic Failures and Rising Discontent

More than half of UK social media users report that platform content controls are ineffective, according to Ofcom. Simultaneously, governments and researchers warn of the discriminatory potential of AI systems. Consumers feel let down by algorithms that don’t deliver the value they expect in return for their data. This is a breach in what we call the Data-Value Exchange.

Specifically, consumers feel let down the three emotional costs of algorithms:

1. IT DOESN’T UNDERSTAND ME.

As technology becomes increasingly bound to people’s joy, escape, and fun, if things don’t work for them, it’s deeply frustrating. Consumers expect their data to deliver seamless experiences, not more noise. When recommendation engines misfire, consumers feel misunderstood. Algorithms, flawed by design, create broken personalisation – like ads for products already bought or repetitive Spotify song suggestions [i] lead to irritation, not engagement.

2. SUPERFICIAL, AND SOMETIMES DANGEROUS

Social trends have always influenced style, identity, and marketing. But today, they are quickly politicised and commodified, often losing their original authenticity and meaning.

Take Brat Summer, sparked by Charli XCX’s “Brat” album: it’s rebellious honesty and neon green aesthetic swiftly became iconic. It exploded globally but was quickly commodified by politicians and brands - alienating the audience Brat celebrated.

Meme-ification of culture, often enabled by relentless algorithms, can also cause real harm. Harmless-looking lifestyle trends – like tradwives or coquettes – serve to regress views of women and normalise harmful gender norms. And the internet is rife with examples of how algorithms breed radicalisation or right-wing pipelines. For example, spiritual influencers spiralling into conspiracy and anti-LGBT activism. Conspirituality by Derek Beres et al. also highlights this growing risk.

Men often complain of disturbing recommendations based solely on demographics. These often push male supremacist influencers like Andrew Tate or extreme fads like the carnivore diet. In the UK, over half of young men now view feminism as a detriment to society – a chilling sign of algorithmic influence.

Even Elon Musk became a victim of his own creation. In his pursuit of ‘free speech absolutism’ he rewired X’s algorithm to amplify controversial voices, no matter the accuracy. His posts were artificially boosted, fuelling erratic rants and feuds. The result: mass exodus from X (7M monthly losses in the US alone) and a discredited Tesla brand. Musk, seeking control, became consumed by his own creation – a modern Frankenstein scenario.

3. SEA OF SAMENESS.

Consumers report craving uniqueness but find themselves feeling “algorithm fatigue” – mental exhaustion from constant ads and loops of recycled content. Feeds are filled with the same lifeless ads and derivative content and even search engines churn out homogenous “best average” content rather than real resonance, made worse with AI recommendations.

Influencers like Gabi Belle critique how chasing virality is a cycle that erodes creativity, forcing creators to appease algorithms, for example, short-form content designed to confuse viewers just enough to trigger replays.

This erosion of creativity has real-world consequences. For example, mass tourism driven by viral “travel content” has overwhelmed cities like Venice and Barcelona, where locals protest against overtourism and cultural dilution. To cope with overtourism and dissuade last-minute visitors, Venice is charging a tourism tax during high seasons. Cultural richness is thus diluted as unique communities are reduced to be oversimplified and marketable.

Muting as resistance

Many consumers now actively resist recommendations, disengage from platforms, or mute their digital environments to escape algorithmic overload. Consumers crave autonomy, creativity, and genuine human connection in an increasingly homogenised world. Brands that ignore this emotional shift risk being lost in the sea of sameness.

Download We Live Context’s full whitepaper ‘Beyond the Algorithm’ using this link: https://lnkd.in/gCur6Z9j.

The research was conducted by We Live Context over several qualitative methodologies, including focus groups, interviews, and ethnographic communities with 115 Respondents in the UK and the US (Nat Rep) between 06.07.04 and 19.12.04. We Live Context abides by, and employs, members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.

[i] AdditionalSquirrel52. “Shuffle Algorithm Enough to Drive Someone Insane”, Reddit, Oct. 2024, www.reddit.com/r/spotify/comments/1fbzy6j/shuffle_algorithm_enough_to_drive_someone_insane/.