Escaping the Algorithm: Inside the Rebellion Against the Feed (Pt.2)

This is the second in a three-part series drawn from We Live Context’s whitepaper, Beyond the Algorithm, created to help brand strategists decode the emotional drivers behind consumer behaviour in an AI and algorithm shaped world. Part one explored why audiences are muting you; Now, we explore how people are reclaiming control. The next part will cover what this means for facing mistrust, fatigue, and sameness. Each part helps reposition your brand with greater relevance and emotional resonance.

As digital fatigue deepens in 2025, a new kind of consumer is emerging: one that is no longer resigned to the feed. People are tired of being trapped in passive content consumption and actively reshaping their digital and real-world environments. They’re reclaiming agency and seeking meaning in places where algorithms don’t dominate.

Based on research conducted in the UK and USA by We Live Context, we explore the emotional and behavioural shifts driving this movement and what it means for brands who want to remain relevant, trusted, and human.

How consumers are reclaiming control

Consumers are curating microenvironments on and offline to remain safe against any type of overwhelm, including digital algorithms and brands. What makes a meaningful moment in time is often real, human connection. One participant described how walking the dog became a way to spark neighbourly conversation, even with strangers who didn’t share like-minded views.

These micro-moments, though small, are deliberate counterweights to digital sameness.

This reflects a broader truth: wellbeing now outweighs engagement. People aren’t just muting notifications – they’re carefully choosing platforms, content, and which digital relationships are worth maintaining. Escaping the algorithm is not about abandoning tech – it’s about reclaiming the terms of engagement and making existing algorithms work on consumers’ terms.

Specifically, consumers are reclaiming control in three ways:

1. Going Premium - Paying for Credibility and Quality

Consumers are trying to moderate poor experiences by paying for curated and credible recommendations. Dating apps like Hinge and Tinder now serve over 300 million users worldwide, with nearly 20 million paying for premium features that reduce randomness and deliver more tailored exposure and profile discovery. Consumers are also paying to have unique experiences from travel to making new connections. Niche apps like ‘Hello Strangers’ match strangers for curated dinners, whilst ‘PlateCulture’ lets travellers dine in local’s homes for unscripted experiences.

In fashion and lifestyle, Substack has become the trusted haven for shoppers looking to escape traditional influencers. Consumers subscribe to reliable recommendations without the noise of overt advertising. Creators use affiliate links and partnerships to build a private shopping experience.

The value of premium has shifted: consumers pay for access, but only if it feels specialised, intentional, and free of algorithmic fluff.

2. IRL Discovery: more Spontaneous Moments and Connection

The authenticity of spontaneity and self-discovery is coming back to challenge endless algorithmic recommendations. People just want to happen upon unique experiences, a way to reclaim wonder and joy as a much-needed antidote to digital fatigue. In travel, consumers are embracing nostalgia, reliving childhood interests with Polly Pocket-inspired Airbnb rentals, to exploring destinations like Miami for the ‘Miami Vice’-era aesthetic[i].

Gen Z and Millennials increasingly favour unplanned discovery. According to an American Express study, 90% of young US consumers find local businesses by wandering neighbourhoods on foot, outpacing numbers of visits from social media discovery. Moreover, 68% of Gen Z shoppers opted for in-store discovery, doing holiday shopping at small businesses.

3. Maximising MY time: Third spaces and the urge to be niche and different

Today’s consumers are savvy about where they belong, their time, community and content. Rather than casting the net wide, people prioritise truly memorable moments for themselves or their children. They want to maximise the time spent on comfort, health and happiness. When it comes to wellbeing tech, consumers gravitate towards products that offer the best for their perceived needs, wanting the option to access elite-level functionality.

From biohackers, dirt trackers, and extreme pet parents - niche subcultures are thriving, and more people are finding belonging by differentiating themselves from the masses. These groups seek niche communities and brands aligned with their unique interests. What’s new is that these subcultures often resist algorithmic dilution, turning consumers into in-the-know gatekeepers of the shared norms, rules and rituals. Members want to protect the special and meaningful spaces from trend-chasing commodification.

Younger consumers are leaning into creative micro-scenes like cottagecore, dark academia, and Aliyahcore – a movement started by influencer Aliyah Bah that empowers alternative Black girls through aesthetic, thrift tips and ideological solidarity. These offer both a strong sense of self-expression and self-definition.

One Gen Z parent, Jordan told us:

I have Patreon for my favourite podcast so I can get exclusive content… it makes me feel like I have something not many people have, and it feels special. You can also chat with others and feel part of a community".

Patreon, Twitch, Discord, and premium YouTube channels now act as digital third spaces where subcultural members connect, share, and pay for content that aligns with their identity. For example, popular YouTuber Ro Ramdin offers a book club to their Patreon subscribers and CJ the X’s premium account, “The Bureau”, allows subscribers get their questions asked and answered at a bi-monthly Q&A. Subcultures now thrive on trusted and relatable individuals, or invite-only spaces not everyone has access to.

For strategists, this is a goldmine: these communities are passionate, self-sorting, and highly loyal - but demand authenticity and mutual respect.

What does this mean?

Consumers are doing more than opting out - they're editing in. They’re selectively curating experiences, platforms, creators, and brands that align with how they want to feel, not just what they want to buy.

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.