the slop era

the attention economy erodes trust. It rewards the most dramatic claims, the most outrageous behavior, the most compelling narratives regardless of their relationship to truth or long-term consequences.

“SEO Is Dead. Say Hello to GEO ,” by John Herrman for New York ($). The arcane art of search optimization shapes much of what you see on the internet: It’s why food blogs are so damn wordy, for instance, and why news outlets have long pulled little stunts like this. But now that AI is eating search whole, whether through chatbots or Google’s... 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... See more

Really appreciated this spicy LinkedIn post from Chris Davis (CEO and heir to the New Balance empire) on their recent collab with Amine.

"Never hear of Aminé? That's not the point. Tapping into the “creator economy” is an increasingly utilized tactic by brands to ignite commercial return. But is that the right approach?

If you are a brand that... See more

Moodboarding as a practice is maxed out. It’s become a nearly absurdist consumer hobby, and it’s part and parcel of our algorithmic reality, targeted yet vague. Similarly, slop can’t be meaningfully curated because there are too many actors, algorithms, and microtrends being expressed simultaneously, in too many automated iterations.

Saleability, not substance, is the issue.

“If your stuff’s not performing well ... you might be aware that the algorithm is doing some shenanigans to tank your views or likes,” explained Kate, but that awareness doesn’t always translate into frustration with the platform. “There’s this doubt that creeps in about your own work, what you should be doing,” she shared.