Systems and methods are provided for providing content to a user based on a user-controllable adventurousness parameter. A content pool is accessed, where the content pool contains a plurality of content items, and where each content item is associated with a content parameter. A baseline position is identified, where the baseline position is associated with a particular value of the content parameter. A user-controllable adventurousness parameter is received, where the adventurousness parameter indicates a user preference for a next content item relative to the baseline position. The next content item is selected based on the baseline position and the adventurousness parameter, and the next content item is provided via a computer network.