PAM (Personal Advice Machine)
2021
PAM originated from the term “filter bubbles”. A filter bubble is not a physical bubble but something that occurs online. You enter such a bubble when you log into your social media account like Instagram or Facebook. On Instagram, you can endlessly scroll through the explore page where you find various posts, from crying cats to contemporary propaganda. These things you find on your explore page are aligned with your own interest. Using algorithms to discover what you like, Instagram filters out irrelevant information and only shows you posts suiting to your liking. This is why it’s called a filter bubble. This/it reminded me of the principle of fortune-telling. I find it quite enjoyable to read my horoscope even though I don’t fully believe in it. I like to see what is being said about me. In my opinion, fortune-telling works well because people like to hear something about themselves. Often, what you hear is relevant to everyone, but because it’s personalized, it seems to fit specifically to you. PAM asks you personal questions, and in return.
Pam (Personal Advice Machine, (2021), Within Bodies and Bytes, St Joost School of Art & Design, Breda