The following is a guest post and opinion from Adrián Garelik, CEO and Co-Founder of Flixxoo

Algorithms manufacture taste. That’s efficient for retention, but brutal for creators who live and die by an opaque feed. Surveys show widespread burnout and rising skepticism about AI-mediated media—yet we keep optimizing for the metric while sidelining the maker. It’s time to rebuild the rails with peer-to-peer distribution and transparent, tokenized economics so that creators can fully own their reach.

What centralized algorithms optimize for, and why it matters

Over the past 15 years, video streaming has been reshaped by recommender systems. YouTube’s watch-time algorithm pioneered the model. Netflix refined it with big-data analytics to maximize binge-watching. TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts perfected it by capturing every micro-interaction—like swipes, pauses, and skips—as inputs to optimize retention.

This precision has a cost. Algorithms now actively mold user preferences. Behavioral research shows that repeated exposure and reward cycles condition viewing habits. Content is no longer pushed for depth or creativity. Engagement rules, favoring sensational hooks over nuanced storytelling.

Creator impact: burnout and homogenization

For creators, the algorithm acts as a gatekeeper. Success depends less on originality and more on conforming to opaque signals: hook length, posting cadence, retention thresholds. Surveys indicate that the pressure to “play the feed” drives widespread burnout.

A 2022 Awin/ShareASale Creator Burnout Report found that 72% of creators experienced burnout directly tied to algorithmic demands—a figure echoed in 2024 updates from MarTechEdge. Respondents reported a loss of joy in creation, formulaic content strategies, and declining well-being.

The economic impact is equally stark. Large studios, armed with IP-driven franchises, dominate platform

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Author: Adrián Garelik