As digitalization becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, it significantly reshapes our communication habits, relationships with technology, interactions with society and individual and collective memory. With the proliferation of data being recommended to us at an incredible speed and amount, our cognitive liberty is at risk (Farahany, 2023a, 2023b) — a concern that has evolved from early debates over social media impacts to discussions about internet tracking for monetization and current concerns about digital ethics.

This research focuses on how predictive technologies embedded within our current social, political, and economic frameworks influence our thinking processes. These technologies often diminish our capacity for critical and pluralistic thought in favour of simplified, profit-driven content interactions. While these technologies facilitate information exchange across borders, they also promote a homogenized global culture, where views that do not align with the profit motives of digital platforms may be suppressed or manipulated.

The study examines these technologies' systemic behaviour and interactions across individual behaviours (micro), group and community dynamics (meso), and societal structures (macro), analyzing the roles and practices of various actors within the system to understand how they influence decisions and propagate specific worldviews. The primary aim is to explore how predictive technologies, often perceived as neutral, support worldviews founded on user engagement and monetization.

Ultimately, the research provides strategic responses for designing toward resilience to preserve cognitive liberty, aiming to foster a future that supports more worldview diversity and societal discourse. By addressing digital technologies' subtle but pervasive influences, this study contributes to the ongoing dialogue about maintaining human agency and diversity in thought in an increasingly algorithm-driven world.