Red Cars and Cake: How Algorithms Shape Your Life

Have you ever bought a car, maybe a shiny red SUV, and suddenly it feels like everyone else in the world bought the same car too? It is not that the universe staged a red-car parade in your honor; it is your brain flipping a switch called the frequency illusion (also known as the Baader–Meinhof phenomenon). Once you notice something, you cannot stop seeing it.

Funny enough, the same thing happens online. You click on one pair of shoes or watch one cake-decorating video, and suddenly your Facebook or Instagram feed is drowning in shoes and cake. (Thanks, algorithm.)

My Story: Cottage Cheese and Chatbots

When I started building the Health Warriors Tribe, it was my singular focus. I was doing research, watching reels, reading blogs, and as you might expect, the internet started serving me more and more fitness, diet, and health posts. Who knew there was so much you could do with cottage cheese!

Then, a few months later, I attended an AI webinar and dove headfirst into AI tools. Want to guess what started filling my feeds? Yes, AI tips, AI articles, AI ads. My brain noticed it, and the algorithm doubled down.

That is how both your brain and the internet work: they reflect back what you tell them is important.

Your Brain vs. The Algorithm

• Your brain’s algorithm notices what you decide to focus on. Red cars, baby names, healthy recipes. Once you tag it as relevant, your mind lights it up everywhere.
• Facebook’s algorithm notices what you interact with. One click, one like, one comment, and your feed reshuffles to give you more of the same.

The result feels the same for both algorithms. You cannot escape the thing you just noticed.

The Good News: You Have Some Control

In real life, you cannot always stop your brain from noticing red cars. But online, you actually can train the algorithm. And that matters when it comes to your health.

If you are constantly fed cake reels, crash diets, or miracle “one pill to fix it all” posts, your feed is nudging you toward discouragement. But if you intentionally:

• Like, comment, and save realistic health tips
• Follow communities (like Health Warriors) that inspire and encourage you
• Scroll past or hide content that does not support your goals

…the algorithm learns to feed you more of the good stuff.

Training Both at the Same Time

Here is the magic: the more you surround yourself with positive, practical health content, the more your brain notices it too. You will start to see encouragement everywhere, in your feed and in real life.

Algorithms are like puppies. Reward them for good behavior, and they will keep bringing you sticks instead of muddy shoes.

Final Thought

The world and your Facebook feed will always have a mix of temptations and encouragement. The trick is teaching both your brain and your feed to notice the right things. That is exactly what we are doing together in Health Warriors, building a life where the good stuff shines so brightly that you cannot help but see it everywhere.

PS: Want to make sure your feed and your brain are stacked with support? Follow Health Warriors on Facebook and Instagram, and join the Tribe. We will keep serving you encouragement, tools, and tips that are actually helpful, not cake ads.