NEW YORK, NY — In today’s world of algorithm-driven content, from Spotify Wrapped to TikTok FYPs, personalization seems to be king. But if the content is highly personalized, are users going to want to talk about the domain (e.g., music, films) with their friends and connections? A new study from researchers at Columbia Business School reveals how personalized content affects user engagement and discussion within the entertainment sectors of music and short-form videos. The study shifts focus from the direct response to personalized content to exploring its broader impact on the likelihood that a consumer starts a cultural conversation about the domain, such as music or films.
The study, “The Effect of Personalized Content in Media Entertainment on Engagement with the Domain,” co-authored by Professor Gita Johar and Columbia Business School Ph.D. graduate Byung Cheol Lee, Assistant Professor at the University of Houston, tested how personalization impacts user engagement across major music and video streaming platforms. The findings challenge the common assumption that personalized content always boosts engagement. Across 11 experiments—conducted with 2,988 participants in total—the researchers found that while personalization can increase enjoyment, it can actually reduce broader engagement among the most passionate fans. For example, a music lover may enjoy a tailored Spotify playlist but feel less motivated to talk about music afterward.
“This research provides crucial insights into the psychological effects of personalized content consumption,” said Professor Gita Johar, the Meyer Feldberg Professor of Business at Columbia Business School. “Personalized playlists or video feeds may feel more engaging because they align with individual tastes, but they can also make consumers more passive in their content choices. That passivity can cause people to doubt their own expertise and become less inclined to discuss music or films in general.”
To examine how personalized content affects the likelihood that highly engaged consumers will discuss music or short-form video, the researchers conducted 11 studies across a variety of media contexts. Each study focused on a specific content format—such as Spotify’s personalized playlist or TikTok’s personalized feed—and compared the responses of users highly engaged versus less engaged with that domain (music, short form videos). The researchers then tracked the likelihood that a subject would discuss the content domain, even if they enjoyed the recommended piece of content. The results consistently showed that personalized content can actually have a negative effect on the likelihood that highly engaged consumers—the very people most likely to generate cultural buzz—continue to discuss the domain after exposure. In other words, a music-lover shown a personalized playlist was unlikely to start conversations about music even if they enjoyed listening to the playlist itself. The authors argue that this is because personalization can make these people feel passive in their content choices, reducing their sense of knowledge about the domain and making them less likely to discuss it.
Additional Findings:
- Personalized content enhances enjoyment: Personalized content tends to boost enjoyment for both casual and engaged listeners.
- Personalized content may cause users to feel a lack of ownership over content: Personalized content can make people feel like they didn’t actively choose or evaluate the content themselves—rather, the content was selected for them. That can lead them to question how much they actually know about the domain. Even when they enjoy what they’re seeing or hearing, that drop in perceived knowledge can lower their willingness to join cultural conversations about the domain compared to when they get no content or content that isn’t personalized.
- For less engaged users, personalized content may have the opposite effect: Those who are not deeply connected to a particular domain, like casual music listeners, tend to show increased willingness to engage in discussions about the domain after consuming personalized content, compared to when they get no content or content that isn’t personalized. This suggests that personalization can foster cultural dialogue among casual users while potentially deterring it among the more engaged ones.
The findings also underscore a potential challenge for media and technology platforms employing personalized recommender systems.
"Our study highlights a need for reconsideration in how personalized systems are designed," added Byung Cheol Lee, Assistant Professor, University of Houston. "It's crucial for these systems not only to enhance user enjoyment but also to support and nurture their confidence and ability to engage in meaningful conversations about the domain."
