You Are Not Who the Algorithm Says You Are

Have you ever lingered a little too long on a video, and now the algorithm thinks it knows you?

Last week I watched a guy power-washing strangers’ driveways for free.
No fanfare, just a hose and a heart to help.
I have to admit, it was rather mesmerizing.
Years of grime gone in a single sweep.

I paused longer than usual.
Not because I want to start a driveway restoration ministry,
But because it was oddly captivating.
And just like that, my feed filled with every kind of pressure washing known to man.

The algorithm didn’t know if I was inspired or just intrigued.
It just knew I stayed.
The algorithm doesn’t measure meaning.
It measures minutes.
And based on that, it builds a theory about who you are and what you want.
Whether or not it’s true.

It made me stop and think.
If something that off-base is deciding what people see, maybe it’s not what we should consult for our self-worth.
And yet, so many of us do.

We post something meaningful or fun or full of heart.
And when it doesn’t perform, we feel like we didn’t either.
Not because we are desperate for attention,
but because we have been trained to equate audience size with importance.
Instead of doubting the algorithm, we start doubting ourselves.

Here is the truth I want you to carry with you today.
You are not your like count.
You are not your engagement.
You are not who the algorithm says you are.

If something was true, good, or full of joy when you posted it, it is still just as true, just as good, and just as worthy whether it reached two people or two hundred thousand.

The value of what you share should never be tied to how far it spreads.
Not everything meaningful goes viral.
Not everything important gets picked up by the algorithm.
And not everything with low numbers means you missed the mark.

So share what is on your heart.
Post the thing.
Enjoy the process.
But do not hand your peace over to a machine that does not understand you.

Because the algorithm might decide what is seen,
but it does not get to decide what is true.

The reach may vary, but the message will never be wasted.
Because when your words come from a heart anchored in truth, you do not need the internet to validate what God has already called valuable.