I realized something weird the other night. I turned on my TV after ignoring it for weeks, hoping to chill a bit. First thing it shows me? Some random reality show marathon I’d never watch. It felt like walking into a party full of strangers. Then I checked my phone, opened YouTube, and boom — right there were videos about the exact thing I was talking about with a friend earlier that day. The timing freaked me out a bit but also made me laugh. My phone basically reads me like an open book — it knows when I’m tired, when I’m in the mood to laugh, even when I want background noise. My TV just plays stuff. My phone actually feels like it’s paying attention.

I’ve noticed the same thing and started thinking it’s because my phone is built around me, while my TV just waits for me to tell it what to do. Like, my phone learns every single thing I do — what I like, what I skip, what I mute, even the time I usually scroll. I came across this article — https://bdjosh.com/why-your-phone-gets-you-better-than-your-tv-ever-will/ — and it explained it in a way that really clicked for me. Basically, your phone keeps building a profile from how you interact with it. It’s constantly updating, connecting your habits, your mood, and even your location to figure out what might interest you next. Your TV doesn’t do that because it’s still kind of “one-way.” It just shows you stuff and hopes something sticks. I think that’s why I’ve gotten used to curating my life through my phone. Even little things like playlists or notifications feel more personal. The only downside is that it sometimes knows me too well. Like, I’ll think about baking something, and suddenly I’ve got five cookie recipe videos waiting. Feels like my phone’s reading my mind, but honestly, I’m not even mad — it saves me time and effort.

Funny how quick we adapt to things that make decisions for us. It starts small, like letting apps choose songs or shows, and before long we stop noticing how much they steer what we do. Makes me wonder what parts of my taste are still mine and what’s just the algorithm doing its thing.