The importance of likes and follows

The cursor was hovering over quietly the Like button. It was a quiet and sunny Sunday afternoon, with a few airplanes playing the background noise, and the echo of a few business meetings the internal monologue. You kept arguing with colleagues who long logged off, about statements they never said.

“Here we go again. Another post to like”, you said to yourself as you started drawing circles around it with your mouse. “I wish I had a lazy heart and could care less about what others ask.”

You have followed exactly 14 artist friends’ various accounts and liked… well probably well above 300 posts on different social media account. All in the name of love! Everybody say love!

“But what happens when I click like? Or when I follow someone? Does a magic spark set off a string of iridescent energy beam through the internet? Will that energy transform back into the love it was triggered by and if so, how will it know how to find the recipient? Does love also travel from server to server?”

And then you sighed and clicked. The algorithm monster, hiding quietly in the data center of Palaces of Social media groaned ever so lightly and raised its little finger, signalling to its minions.

“Show the Liked some favor”, it said. And as he uttered the words, somewhere far away, where the artist was brooding out of his window felt a little tingle. A small flash of warmth rushed through his heart.