Rejecting the Allure of Short-Form Content
This, no doubt, is a universal problem.
The problem of our attention being rudely robbed from us, and directed towards content we might otherwise never have paid attention to.
Let’s get honest. Were it up to the decision-making machinery we house in our skulls, we probably wouldn’t choose to spend so much time consuming meaningless short-form content. But because of the extremely effective formulaic approach social media companies take to ensure your attention is held by them for as long as possible, it’s very difficult to resist the temptation.
The Problem of Short-form Content
With these algorithms hooking and holding our attention by exposing us to purely entertaining (no beneficial information to carry over into our lives) content, we face the problem of becoming a mindless, robotic, scrolling machine.
These algorithms only “care” about holding your attention for as long as possible, regardless of the possible negative effects this goal of theirs might have on you as an individual.
Imagine a life spent giving into the short-form consumption temptation. Imagine 80 years of falling prey to these clever, pernicious algorithms. 80 years! Of pure entertainment! How disastrous!
It might sound nice on paper, but because this type of content lacks beneficial information you might be able to apply in your own life to improve it somewhat, you effectively become a vegetable!
A Sad Reality
The sad fact is this content is very appealing. Too appealing!
In optimising for attention-holding capacity, these algorithms maximise entertainment value at the expense of information value.
No other type of content can give us the same intense entertainment sensations as this does. The physiological and psychological responses we have to viewing this content makes us want to continue viewing it indefinitely. That’s the game these algorithms are playing with our minds.
If we can come to terms with this sad reality, and realise that ultimately, more harm is done to us than good (despite the good sensations) when we subjugate ourselves to the power of these algorithms, then we stand a chance of overcoming their addictive allure.
A life spent mindlessly scrolling through purely entertaining short-form content is not a life worth living.
Boring, real-world life has its appeal too! If we can train ourselves to resist the temptation of these nasty algorithms, and elect instead to consume content with both entertainment and information value (a book, for example) then we’re on the right track.
And that’s all we want.
To be on the right track.
Regain Control Over Your Mind.