What do you think of the fact that the world doesn’t actually want to help you or have your best interest in mind, and instead wants to use you/ make as much money as possible off you?
I’ll give you an example: why would therapists want to actually help you solve your problems if that would mean you stop seeing them and they lose your money?
Why would movies get to the point as soon as possible if it means less of the time of consumers is used?
Why would social media feeds give you the best content they could find as soon as possible if it means you are satisfied and get off their app earlier than later, and therefore consume less content (and less ads or see less content promoting products where creators make commission and the companies selling the products make money)?
Why would mainstream music have more of a positive message if the music that talks about drugs and heartbreak and other negative stuff appeal to the most listeners and has them listen to these songs the most/longest?
Why would there be music that is the shortest but also is considered ‘amazing’ and has a great message if that meant, after listening to it, the consumer got their fix and therefore stops listening to music in that moment, therefore meaning that music streaming companies lost some consumption times of a customer?
How about this: isn’t it true that social media companies and music streaming/ creation companies or movie streaming / movie creation companies structure their content at a level where the user is just slightly more interested in than average, but not too little to stop consumption and not too high to be satisfied and stop comsumption as well, but just the right level to ensure maximum durations of consumption? Isn’t it all about money and engagement?
I admit i’m on my phone/computer or screens in general way too much.. especially social media. It has fulfilled a big hole in society and my needs, such that social media or doing anything on screens is really good at relieving boredom. But I constantly get to a point where if I consume too much, especially TikTok or reels or look at social media feeds, i’m like: “I need to do something productive.”. “I need to work on something.”. Not even video games do it anymore. I’m 24 and I used to play League of Legends or other games in my free time. I didn’t care if they didn’t ‘really’ matter. I played League of Legends and other games everyday starting when I was like 9 or 10. At 16 I grinded League of Legends ‘ranked mode’ so much. It was as if a video game, where otherwise seemingly meaningless, now mattered because I could get a ‘rank’ and work to be better than other players.
At my peak, I was challenger, the highest rank, and rank 98 on the leaderboard. I was considered the best Mordekaiser on NA servers in the world. I played against some of the top streamers and top players at the time. I kid you not, I played a Mordekaiser game in top lane and played against the top laner for SKT1 at the time (faker’s team, currently considered the best player right now and all time in league of legends). Their jungler was on the enemy team as well. They camped the shit out me and I died over and over.
I played against Voyboy, a popular LCS player and streamer at the time. I also played against Yassuo, Imaqtpie, Tyler1 and Pobeleter. I soloed Pobelter in mid lane. I also played with Tarzaned on my team. He flamed me the whole game for being useless, then I ended up carrying him last minute and he complimented me.
My point is, I need to move on. Games and screen don’t really do it anymore. The more I consume social media or other things on screens for too long (besides reading a book on my kindle I guess), the more I feel worthless. I am trying to be outside more and in real social functions. Not getting the makeshift feeling of community by sending posts to friends or consuming the content they’ve liked, that social media tells you they’ve liked so you want to consume it too. Atleast in real life, you know people aren’t directly controlled by algorithms and can talk shit behind a screen or keyboard. I’ve found that real life is more chill and less toxic. That is, if you don’t have to be in horrible situations in real life, like being a cashier or doing customer service for prolonged periods..
Overall.. the outside and nature is good. Ultimately, better than screens, algorithms, and companies manipulating us consumers on them for the most money.
-Max
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