I've always been the same, since the 1990s in university when I was the "I don't own a TV" guy who everyone rolled their eyes at. But back then there were only a few shows people talked about, not the hundreds I have to listen to well-meaning people describe to me in great detail these days. I really only watch baseball and the very occasional history doc or cheesy British murder mystery with my wife. I prefer to read or paint if I have free time.
Also, the people binge watching all these shows like it's their second job, do they even enjoy it, I wonder? Or are they just trapped in an inescapable cycle of FOMO?
I also always think, these people that binge-watch all the shows (some of which are my closest loved ones) when they get to the end of their life, will they think “damn, I wish I hadn’t watched so many shows and actually did some cool stuff with my life”
Glad to discover that others feel the same way, I seem to be the only one in my crowd! The quantity over quality part spoke to the me most. People are okay with scrolling past several videos to find one that is remotely entertaining, but the skipped ones will still get the eyeball metric. It’s madness.
I made a decision a few years ago to not take on anymore suggestions. I worked with a dude who would constantly suggest new series or old series he watched and I routinely replied "I'm not interested in watching this". I still have stuff I watch but I tend to not open slots for new series.
I absolutely loathe the incessant reboots, the old music samples, and the constant play on nostalgia that has a generation so obsessed with the past that they neglect their future.
Have found myself seriously struggling with ‘good’ non-entertainment content too… that is tutorials, courses, step by steps for this or that, along with news on tech and run-downs on how to use the latest features X or Y on software Z update.
I’m talking about some of the nice YouTube and Skillshare (and co) lessons out there. These are also TOO DAMN MUCH.
I have realized that there’s ultimately a sacrifice to make: for the brain capacity and life time left, I won’t be able to learn to draw AND cook AND a new programming language for iOS AND continue nurturing expertise in my real video game development jobs.
As much as it would be a bliss to go through the thousand+ videos queued of all things enticing things to learn, that too will have to be trashed for the most part to said non-list.
I think that's fine. There isn't enough time to do everything, so when you find the things you like - and have capacity for - give them everything you've got
So good! I often just spend evenings staring into space or sitting on my porch watching wild animals as an antidote to all the ‘content’ The worst is when people interrupt a meal to show me content🤦🏻♀️😬 I wish people would advocate for the simple life more.
Was just about to ask you if you've seen the new season of The Bear.
Expected joke aside, totally with you as it's become insanity.
PS and don't get me started on platforms I'm paying for having commercials now and asking me to upgrade to pay for what I thought I was paying for in the first place.
Same! And I cancelled my TV over a year ago & have no streaming - my husband and I choose movies to watch via DVD - I have little clue what's happening in the world via Network News and junk, but being "odd" is quite freeing & peaceful - I never have been very good at watching or keeping up with trendy shows and such, anyway - to the point where people probably find me frustrating to talk at. :)
Glad to see that I am not the only one whose "Oh, I'll definitely check that out" after getting another podcast/book/TV show recommendation MEANS NOTHING 🙃😂 (90% of the time)
It’s 2004, just graduated from high school and I’m thinking wow there’s a lot of content on the web, like too much. Then YouTube comes around and mass content expanded to totally off the charts and seemed unsustainable. Now almost 20 years later and the system is still rolling with 60 streaming platforms. Will the system break tomorrow or another 20 years from now. The answer is nothing breaks, it just keeps evolving because humans can’t turn sh!t off for a weekend. Thank God I can!
Yeah, the only thing that's going to happen is the streaming platforms will merge, leaving Netflix, Disney and Apple, and then they'll strike some kind of deal, and then you've just got cable again, but more expensive.
Yeah I can’t keep up. But supposedly the genius of the algorithm is that it feeds you the type of content you would keep up with. Everybody isn’t keeping up with the same things. And the big fish have the cache for wide distribution making it difficult for smaller fish to breakthrough. The system and patterns are the same as they’ve always been. We are just living the social media and streaming iterations of it.
"The genius of the algorithm" - I think that was the case years ago, but I feel even algos are struggling to keep up, resulting in worse targeting when really, that shit should be scary good by now
I haven't "watched that show" since Downtown Abbey came out 😂 the good news is that you're really not missing much, the fads come and go, you'll feel like you're up to speed on everything since it's so heavily promoted, and people will just talk about something else (thank goodness!)
I just noticed Netflix suggested a pinball documentary and recommended "Download the mobile app and play live!" NETFLIX. Don't you know me at all? Give me an app that'll let me live chat with some bad reality TV stars and we might have a deal.
I've always been the same, since the 1990s in university when I was the "I don't own a TV" guy who everyone rolled their eyes at. But back then there were only a few shows people talked about, not the hundreds I have to listen to well-meaning people describe to me in great detail these days. I really only watch baseball and the very occasional history doc or cheesy British murder mystery with my wife. I prefer to read or paint if I have free time.
Also, the people binge watching all these shows like it's their second job, do they even enjoy it, I wonder? Or are they just trapped in an inescapable cycle of FOMO?
I also always think, these people that binge-watch all the shows (some of which are my closest loved ones) when they get to the end of their life, will they think “damn, I wish I hadn’t watched so many shows and actually did some cool stuff with my life”
Glad to discover that others feel the same way, I seem to be the only one in my crowd! The quantity over quality part spoke to the me most. People are okay with scrolling past several videos to find one that is remotely entertaining, but the skipped ones will still get the eyeball metric. It’s madness.
Yeah engagement metric is so vague, and they must be juicing them to make them as pretty as possible for shareholders.
Offline communities will thrive
100%! I'm building one as we speak! 🥰
Yesss! Exactly this!
I made a decision a few years ago to not take on anymore suggestions. I worked with a dude who would constantly suggest new series or old series he watched and I routinely replied "I'm not interested in watching this". I still have stuff I watch but I tend to not open slots for new series.
Yeah. I will consider making time to watch/listen to absolute 10/10s, or a few things I do have a soft spot for. Everything else hasn’t got a chance
I absolutely loathe the incessant reboots, the old music samples, and the constant play on nostalgia that has a generation so obsessed with the past that they neglect their future.
"so obsessed with the past that they neglect their future." - killer line!
Have found myself seriously struggling with ‘good’ non-entertainment content too… that is tutorials, courses, step by steps for this or that, along with news on tech and run-downs on how to use the latest features X or Y on software Z update.
I’m talking about some of the nice YouTube and Skillshare (and co) lessons out there. These are also TOO DAMN MUCH.
I have realized that there’s ultimately a sacrifice to make: for the brain capacity and life time left, I won’t be able to learn to draw AND cook AND a new programming language for iOS AND continue nurturing expertise in my real video game development jobs.
As much as it would be a bliss to go through the thousand+ videos queued of all things enticing things to learn, that too will have to be trashed for the most part to said non-list.
I think that's fine. There isn't enough time to do everything, so when you find the things you like - and have capacity for - give them everything you've got
Yes! I have been feeling exactly the same about Skillshare!
So good! I often just spend evenings staring into space or sitting on my porch watching wild animals as an antidote to all the ‘content’ The worst is when people interrupt a meal to show me content🤦🏻♀️😬 I wish people would advocate for the simple life more.
Sounds... peaceful.
Was just about to ask you if you've seen the new season of The Bear.
Expected joke aside, totally with you as it's become insanity.
PS and don't get me started on platforms I'm paying for having commercials now and asking me to upgrade to pay for what I thought I was paying for in the first place.
I have actually watched the last two seasons of the Bear! Each episode ain't too long, and the seasons don't drag on. Works for me.
Commericials though - don't get me started, ,
Same! And I cancelled my TV over a year ago & have no streaming - my husband and I choose movies to watch via DVD - I have little clue what's happening in the world via Network News and junk, but being "odd" is quite freeing & peaceful - I never have been very good at watching or keeping up with trendy shows and such, anyway - to the point where people probably find me frustrating to talk at. :)
Glad to see that I am not the only one whose "Oh, I'll definitely check that out" after getting another podcast/book/TV show recommendation MEANS NOTHING 🙃😂 (90% of the time)
For me, it's 100% of the time
Thank you for saying this! Such an astute read of the way that content and culture is going. It’s too much!
It’s 2004, just graduated from high school and I’m thinking wow there’s a lot of content on the web, like too much. Then YouTube comes around and mass content expanded to totally off the charts and seemed unsustainable. Now almost 20 years later and the system is still rolling with 60 streaming platforms. Will the system break tomorrow or another 20 years from now. The answer is nothing breaks, it just keeps evolving because humans can’t turn sh!t off for a weekend. Thank God I can!
Yeah, the only thing that's going to happen is the streaming platforms will merge, leaving Netflix, Disney and Apple, and then they'll strike some kind of deal, and then you've just got cable again, but more expensive.
Yeah I can’t keep up. But supposedly the genius of the algorithm is that it feeds you the type of content you would keep up with. Everybody isn’t keeping up with the same things. And the big fish have the cache for wide distribution making it difficult for smaller fish to breakthrough. The system and patterns are the same as they’ve always been. We are just living the social media and streaming iterations of it.
"The genius of the algorithm" - I think that was the case years ago, but I feel even algos are struggling to keep up, resulting in worse targeting when really, that shit should be scary good by now
I haven't "watched that show" since Downtown Abbey came out 😂 the good news is that you're really not missing much, the fads come and go, you'll feel like you're up to speed on everything since it's so heavily promoted, and people will just talk about something else (thank goodness!)
I was talked into reading the twilight books. I’ll save everyone here- they were horrible. Popular media is almost always terrible.
I just noticed Netflix suggested a pinball documentary and recommended "Download the mobile app and play live!" NETFLIX. Don't you know me at all? Give me an app that'll let me live chat with some bad reality TV stars and we might have a deal.
All this to say, YES, Stephen -- this engagement metric pushing is getting old fast.