I live in Minnesota and this feels very real right now. Others all over the world are seeing what happens, but to many it’s just content. To us, it’s our lives. There was a sham pro-ice anti-Muslim “rally” yesterday where an influencer and like 10 others went to downtown. Almost all of them were filming the whole time. After reading Adam’s writing for a while I’m not sure if they’re actually racist, or if it’s just an easy way to get likes online. Either way, this stuff trickles down and ends up effecting real people, and that’s dangerous.
So very good. We’ve forgotten about all the light that exists outside of our tiny screens.
I wrote about this: “Somehow, somewhere along the way, the boy began to think a memory wasn’t real until someone else could double-tap it. Electronics supplanted embodiment; a screen now stood between despair and ecstasy. He forgot that use it or lose it was an inescapable law. What felt like clearing mental RAM was, in truth, the slow demolition of his capacity to remember everything, everywhere, all at once. He posted things that should never be public; “sharing is caring” turned out to be the cruelest lie of all.”
Adam, this was an interesting read that I feel breaks from your recent writings. This one somehow feels more concrete to me. It actually reminds me of a fun concept I came up with a while back I titled "Algorizzhim" which is totally right in this same vein of modern algorithmic dating.
One thing that really reasonated with me from here was the transmission vs ritual divide here. I question what a ritualistic platform or algorithmic influence would look like. Food for thought...
A final thing that I stumbled upon the other day was this open access article "How Do I Measure up? Social Influence and L2 Motivation in the Algorithmic Age" by Alastair Henry & Meng Liu. Henry is one scholar focused on situated L2 motivation that I follow very closely and I thought you might enjoy seeing academia lean into the digital age a bit more. ; )
The ritual vs transmission distinction really clicked for me when you framed it as being "present in the video and not the park." I keep thinking about how this extends to everyday conversations now. It's not just influencers filming rizz content. I catch myself mentally composing tweets while talking to friends, or noticing something interesting and immediately thinking about how to photograph it rather than just... noticing it. The content-ification of experience might be more pervasive than we realize.
The strangest part to me is that the internet feels like the solution and social media the problem. The place were the problem exist might be were the solution is. I hope we can move beyond the era of the social media that rots your brain as a bussiness model, but it just feed into each other. We are all hooked, so it makes tons of money and the owners of the spaces we use to discuss how bad the spaces are get to use that money to legislate to make our lives worse. Im hoping. Im hoping in the future people wonder what were we thinking, when we let this happen. Im hoping theres a brigth future.
Adam, I agree with you, but how are clips different from this post? You also created content from that moment at the park. Is it different because you’re pointing out the issue? Because written content takes more human thinking calories to produce and we can asume yours is authentic? Or perhaps because it’s hard to make it as invasive to people’s privacy? Would love to hear your thoughts.
Metrics will be optimized, so we are fucked until going viral on TikTok/IG doesn't lead to the best outcome for people's metrics (votes for politicians, $ for influencers)
Options are:
- drive everyone's attention to different platforms that don't optimize for virality
- get people to stop using their phones
I think the first one is actually harder than the second. But it will take decades regardless
Adam, you never cease to just *hit* with these notes. I think if you were to write your next book on the topic of transactional versus ritualistic communication, it would be an instant bestseller. I love this kind of writing.
I've been reflecting a lot recently about how the decisions over what the platforms measure and display can affect our behavior in and out of social media. I read some articles by C. Thi Nguyen that I've found very interesting and I think you might enjoy them as well. He also just published a new book about how metrics shape our desires and behavior.
As Logan Pearsall Smith quipped, some say life is the thing — but I prefer books.
I've yet to meet anybody with whom I can communicate intelligently about what I believe matter: justice and fairness; magnanimity and pity; valour and honour.
This may be due, of course, to what my family has assured me repeatedly is my arrogant, unyielding and unpleasant personality, even though I think I'm amiable & affable, approachable & accomodating.
Adam, do you have a link to, or more info about, the February 26 event in Berkeley? I've searched all the pertinent online calendars without success. Thanks!
I live in Minnesota and this feels very real right now. Others all over the world are seeing what happens, but to many it’s just content. To us, it’s our lives. There was a sham pro-ice anti-Muslim “rally” yesterday where an influencer and like 10 others went to downtown. Almost all of them were filming the whole time. After reading Adam’s writing for a while I’m not sure if they’re actually racist, or if it’s just an easy way to get likes online. Either way, this stuff trickles down and ends up effecting real people, and that’s dangerous.
So very good. We’ve forgotten about all the light that exists outside of our tiny screens.
I wrote about this: “Somehow, somewhere along the way, the boy began to think a memory wasn’t real until someone else could double-tap it. Electronics supplanted embodiment; a screen now stood between despair and ecstasy. He forgot that use it or lose it was an inescapable law. What felt like clearing mental RAM was, in truth, the slow demolition of his capacity to remember everything, everywhere, all at once. He posted things that should never be public; “sharing is caring” turned out to be the cruelest lie of all.”
More: https://www.whitenoise.email/p/all-the-light-outside-the-screen
Adam, this was an interesting read that I feel breaks from your recent writings. This one somehow feels more concrete to me. It actually reminds me of a fun concept I came up with a while back I titled "Algorizzhim" which is totally right in this same vein of modern algorithmic dating.
One thing that really reasonated with me from here was the transmission vs ritual divide here. I question what a ritualistic platform or algorithmic influence would look like. Food for thought...
A final thing that I stumbled upon the other day was this open access article "How Do I Measure up? Social Influence and L2 Motivation in the Algorithmic Age" by Alastair Henry & Meng Liu. Henry is one scholar focused on situated L2 motivation that I follow very closely and I thought you might enjoy seeing academia lean into the digital age a bit more. ; )
The ritual vs transmission distinction really clicked for me when you framed it as being "present in the video and not the park." I keep thinking about how this extends to everyday conversations now. It's not just influencers filming rizz content. I catch myself mentally composing tweets while talking to friends, or noticing something interesting and immediately thinking about how to photograph it rather than just... noticing it. The content-ification of experience might be more pervasive than we realize.
The strangest part to me is that the internet feels like the solution and social media the problem. The place were the problem exist might be were the solution is. I hope we can move beyond the era of the social media that rots your brain as a bussiness model, but it just feed into each other. We are all hooked, so it makes tons of money and the owners of the spaces we use to discuss how bad the spaces are get to use that money to legislate to make our lives worse. Im hoping. Im hoping in the future people wonder what were we thinking, when we let this happen. Im hoping theres a brigth future.
Adam, I agree with you, but how are clips different from this post? You also created content from that moment at the park. Is it different because you’re pointing out the issue? Because written content takes more human thinking calories to produce and we can asume yours is authentic? Or perhaps because it’s hard to make it as invasive to people’s privacy? Would love to hear your thoughts.
Good question -it's about what is done in the present moment.
I can be present in the park and present while I'm writing this piece,
but if someone is recording a video in the park they are only present in the video and not the park.
Nor does my writing come at the expense of someone else's present moment.
Metrics will be optimized, so we are fucked until going viral on TikTok/IG doesn't lead to the best outcome for people's metrics (votes for politicians, $ for influencers)
Options are:
- drive everyone's attention to different platforms that don't optimize for virality
- get people to stop using their phones
I think the first one is actually harder than the second. But it will take decades regardless
Adam, you never cease to just *hit* with these notes. I think if you were to write your next book on the topic of transactional versus ritualistic communication, it would be an instant bestseller. I love this kind of writing.
I've been reflecting a lot recently about how the decisions over what the platforms measure and display can affect our behavior in and out of social media. I read some articles by C. Thi Nguyen that I've found very interesting and I think you might enjoy them as well. He also just published a new book about how metrics shape our desires and behavior.
As Logan Pearsall Smith quipped, some say life is the thing — but I prefer books.
I've yet to meet anybody with whom I can communicate intelligently about what I believe matter: justice and fairness; magnanimity and pity; valour and honour.
This may be due, of course, to what my family has assured me repeatedly is my arrogant, unyielding and unpleasant personality, even though I think I'm amiable & affable, approachable & accomodating.
there have been a billion sydney sweeney on this app but somehow you've made the best remark in a single paragraph. good stuff
Adam, do you have a link to, or more info about, the February 26 event in Berkeley? I've searched all the pertinent online calendars without success. Thanks!
I think Berkeley will be posting information in coming weeks