Content Overload: Communication, Perception, and Creation in the Digital Age
The path to fulfillment will not be televised
The evolution of our communication, perceptions of the world, self-worth and self-realisation with the advent and evolution of social media is an interesting phenomenon to ponder.
With all the social media platforms and how oversaturated the media landscape is, it’s easy to become lost and consumed by all you wish to consume. It’s definitely taken me ample time to re-structure how much time I wish to dedicate to consumption of others’ content vs the time I wish to spend producing my own.
In some ways, social media is a good thing because it helps us connect with others on topics that people in our vicinity may not relate to, and to learn more about the world we live in and those who inhabit it. In other ways, which are not as favourable, it floods our mind with content that surreptitiously alters our feelings about ourselves, others around us, and our world.
And let’s not forget about the weaponisation of misinformation that’s happening as a result of how some of the biggest social media platforms in the world have been run in recent years, and how this affects real world thoughts and actions of people, forming groups that take on a world-view based on lies or omission of information that then helps the most powerful people reach their covert goals, while those who were fooled into organising based on lies or hidden truth, end up with a rotten outcome or a false sense of accomplishment.
With social media working as it does today, content quantity and variety of speech are king, and the persona or personability of someone vs what they're actually talking about and promoting is the balancing act all creators contend with to reach success.
Sound bites are taken to represent what a person is about, forming their avatar for others to consume or connect with more easily instead of consumers taking the time to analyse someone’s patterns of action (their record) and what they have stood for over time—a much more time consuming endeavour I admit.
I may just be coming to a point in my life where I feel that all this information (overload)— whether true or false, useful or not— is simply not conducive to a super fulfilling or productive life. I mean this in the sense that while you’re watching others put out content (and lord knows there’s no end to how much of it is out there and keeps being released daily) and raising their share of real estate in your brain based on the amount of content you consume from/about them, the opportunity cost is you not being able to work on something meaningful and fulfilling to you and your spirit.
As someone who has with time realised that my ultimate passion is writing, and who is intent on following my curiosity to explore the different avenues for writing and creative production, I have progressively felt more energised when I put in ample time to either put thoughts into words on a page, whether in digital form or on paper, or concoct a runsheet for a livestream I want to produce and then eventually film. Creating something out of nothing and inspiring, innovating, or bringing joy to others with my creations looks to be what makes my heart sing.
I feel a more appetising serenity in these moments. This is probably because I feel most in the moment when I slow down to write and shut off the portals on the internet that make my head spin and my brain lose steam at the thought of how much information there is to consume. Some of which I find nutritious, but a lot which distracts me and inebriates my mind from having the time and energy to do the work or participate in play and rest that is a lot more nourishing for my spirit.
Maybe the ultimate pitfall is wanting to stay relevant, to be noticed, and the dopamine hit you get from increased engagement on your social media pages. However, some of the most fulfilling times in people’s lives are those that are not on display, those that aren’t televised.
If you feel like what you’re wanting to express and communicate to others is not getting as big a buzz as you’d hoped, please know that behind a lot of the largest content creators out there is a team including those who can set up cameras, mics, market the content effectively, as well as the monetary means that allows them to spend more time on being creators. That, or some creators have either been lucky to hit it big quite quickly, or have worked at it for years to reach where they are today even if they remain small in their production efforts.
You are going at your own pace. If you are producing things you’re proud of—no matter the production value—don’t fret. You’re on the right path as long as you’re investing the time and making things, no matter what you think of the final product. You can always take time, no matter how big or little those bits of time are, to gradually improve your output.
I’m still a work in progress, and I must remind myself that I always will be. I will never be able to replicate the paths of others I admire, because everyone’s life circumstances are different. And it’s ok to stay hidden sometimes. To not rush yourself to consume the world in a day and be an expert soon after, ready to make a splash on the world stage.
Maybe more considered and focused messaging/communication will prevail out of the chaos of the last decade. At least I think that keeping more of a focus or organised approach for what you’re consuming, is a mental health must for me now, and allows me to find more consistent fulfillment in my life.
I’d also love to hear your thoughts and opinions, so leave them below!
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