When Leisure is Programmed: Algorithmic Awareness, Autonomy, Satisfaction, and Discovery in Digital Platform Use

Abstract

As algorithms increasingly shape digital leisure, their psychological effects become crucial to understand. This study conceptualizes leisure as a psychological experience involving autonomy, satisfaction, and discovery, and examines how algorithmic curation influences these elements on platforms such as Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, and TikTok. Survey data from 1,053 adults in Türkiye were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling, explaining 34% of the variance in overall leisure experience. Findings show that algorithmic awareness enhances satisfaction but reduces autonomy and discovery. All three—satisfaction, autonomy, and discovery—significantly predict leisure quality. The results suggest that while personalization can boost short-term enjoyment, it may undermine users’ sense of agency and limit serendipitous exploration. The study highlights the need for transparent, user-centered algorithmic design that safeguards autonomy and discovery as key aspects of leisure.

Keywords

• Algorithms
• Awareness
• Personal Autonomy
• User Satisfaction

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval for this research was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale, Türkiye (Approval No: 2025/06).

Serbest Zaman Programlandığında: Dijital Platform Kullanımında Algoritmik Farkındalık, Özerklik, Tatmin ve Keşif

Abstract

Algoritmik sistemler dijital serbest zaman deneyimlerini giderek daha fazla şekillendirdikçe, bunların psikolojik etkilerini anlamak önem kazanmaktadır. Bu çalışma, serbest zamanı özerklik, tatmin ve kendiliğinden keşif unsurlarıyla tanımlanan karmaşık bir psikolojik deneyim olarak ele almaktadır. Öz Belirleme Kuramı, Akış Kuramı ve algoritmik kültür çerçevelerinden yararlanılarak Netflix, YouTube, Spotify ve TikTok gibi platformlarda algoritmik kürasyonun serbest zaman deneyimine etkisi incelenmiştir. Türkiye’de bu platformları boş zaman amaçlı kullanan 1.053 yetişkinden toplanan veriler üzerinde Yapısal Eşitlik Modellemesi uygulanmış, model genel serbest zaman deneyimindeki varyansın %34’ünü açıklamıştır. Bulgular, algoritmik farkındalığın tatmini artırırken özerklik ve keşif algısını azalttığını göstermektedir. Ayrıca tatmin, özerklik ve keşif, serbest zaman kalitesinin anlamlı yordayıcılarıdır. Sonuçlar, kişiselleştirilmiş algoritmaların kısa vadede tatmini artırabileceğini, ancak kullanıcıların özne olma duygusunu zayıflatıp tesadüfi keşifleri sınırlayabileceğini ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışma, özerklik ve keşif gibi serbest zamanın temel unsurlarını koruyacak şeffaf ve kullanıcı merkezli algoritma tasarımlarının önemini vurgulamaktadır

Keywords

• Algoritmalar
• Kullanıcı Memnuniyeti
• Farkındalık
• Kişisel Özerklik

Ethical Statement

Bu araştırma için etik onay, Kırıkkale Üniversitesi Etik Kurulu’ndan (Kırıkkale, Türkiye) alınmıştır (Onay No: 2025/06).

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