the slop era

Successful platforms do not just discover what consumers want — they produce the consumers and the forms of consumer desire that they need.

The internet is (mostly) a machine for light things.

The modern makers’ machine does not want you to create heavy things. It runs on the internet—powered by social media, fueled by mass appeal, and addicted to speed. It thrives on spikes, scrolls, and screenshots. It resists weight and avoids friction. It does not care for patience, deliberation, o... See more

I love TikTok but you have to actively train the algorithm to get a delightful FYP, especially in your first few weeks. The app only registers your attention duration: the longer you watch something, the more similar content it will show you, so follow certain users in certain categories you like, yes, but you also have to be ruthless with swiping ... See more

Which is to say: the Internet and increasing access to entertainment means we hit the “too much stuff” problem by another name. And that name? The mid. The average. The uninteresting. The fine. That’s why “end of animated movie music” and “chicken alfredo boomerang music” and “retail store radio music” and “Reels music” have become shorthands for v... See more

Because they are not well funded, leftist creators also don't have money to pour into production teams or marketing for their independent media businesses. While Bari Weiss and other billionaire-backed right wing influencers who cosplay as independent media can hire large staffs and run national ad campaigns thanks to their robust funding, progress... See more

This video declares that the age of brands as stories has ended. There are no more ninety second spots that tell a tale, he argues, now there’s only vibe, something more like sentiment or affect – what's picked up in a crowded feed, two or three seconds between footage of catastrophic climate change and a monkey who’s learned to do makeup tutorials... See more

I’ve been writing for years about social media fueling the loneliness crisis and the way capitalism and big tech have innovated away human connection and trapped us in ecosystems that encourage and profit from a meaner, angrier user base. These platforms too often funnel young men into toxic spaces that answer their loneliness by pointing the finge... See more