Suze Coopmans’ Internet Bubble: ‘Sometimes I Feel Like a Slave to My Phone’

Suze Coopmans’ Internet Bubble: ‘Sometimes I Feel Like a Slave to My Phone’

Algorithms guide us through the endless maze of the internet. Sometimes they’re helpful, sometimes distracting, and sometimes even painful. This month, we dive into the bubble of Suze Coopmans (21), a Master’s student in International Management. ‘The moment I see something on my timeline, I almost automatically assume it’s true.’

Suze Coopmans with her phone. Image: Jack Tummers

What stands out most about your algorithm?

‘I consider myself quite progressive, but I have a fascination with Christian families and tradwives. Even though I don’t like that they try to impose their way of life on me, I still find them very interesting. I can’t leave a tradwife profile until I fully understand what they stand for and to what extent I disagree with them.’

What would you rather not have seen?

‘I often get shown things that are important to see but not enjoyable. For example, I see a lot of posts about the Taliban. It makes me feel powerless and worse than before I opened Instagram. Sometimes I even shed a tear over the situation in Afghanistan. At the same time, I realize that I’m not doing anything about it. Right now, I don’t even know what I can do. That’s painful.’

Are you in a filter bubble?

‘One hundred percent, yes. When I see something on my timeline, I almost automatically assume it’s true. When I watch something, I don’t really question what’s being said. It’s a left-leaning bubble. I feel comfortable in my bubble, and I find it difficult to consume content I disagree with.’

Do algorithms influence your viewing and listening behavior?

‘Definitely. Algorithms even determine what I share with different people. With my boyfriend, I watch recipes we might want to try, which ultimately decides what we have for dinner. With other friends, I watch funny videos—like little kids falling (not too harsh, of course!). And because of that, I get even more of those videos in my feed.’

Are you mostly positive or negative about algorithms?

‘The quality of the content I get is good, but sometimes my quality of life suffers. These highly developed algorithms increase my screen time, and at the end of the day, I really regret that. When I mindlessly scroll and only later realize how much time I’ve lost to social media, I truly feel like a slave to my phone.’

Have your digital experiences made you more resilient to algorithms?

‘I don’t think so. As I get older, the algorithms also get better. Social media still manages to completely draw me in. I feel like I haven’t found the right balance yet. During busy periods, I delete all my apps, but I’d like to be a more responsible user more often.’

Do you ever talk to others about their bubbles?

‘Yes, occasionally. Yesterday, I went out to dinner with three friends. We talked about the content we had seen recently. We realized that all three of us had seen the same video on the same day. That’s when you notice that your real-life bubble consumes the same content as your online bubble.’

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