Anna Blackburn assesses the need for the Likewise app amongst readers and binge-watchers alike.
I don’t know about you, but after making it through seasons upon seasons of a show that has left me an emotional wreck or reading the very last words of a novel I cherished, there seems to be a hole in my heart that longs for more. Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ have algorithms that help suggest shows based on what you’ve watched, but where is the equivalent for readers?
Likewise is an app which suggests films, tv shows, books and podcasts based on your previous indulgences across many platforms. One of the many perks of building a vast library of entertainment you have and haven’t yet indulged in is that Likewise not only considers what you marked as liked or disliked, but also what you have saved to entertain with later.
The feature which I find the most useful on the Likewise app is the comments section. Other users can ask a question related to a specific aspect of a film, television show, novel, or podcast and they are answered by other users in the Likewise community. This is especially helpful when you are looking for content with, say, the greatest villain of all time. You can pose your questions to the community and give everyone the opportunity to answer and debate others' answers. In addition to looking for suggestions, you can also contribute to conversational questions such as “if you could live in any book world, what would it be?”
Likewise provides a platform for people to browse and search for film, tv shows, books, and podcasts with other ‘like-minded’ people in search of a new adventure.