I’d bet your information diet has become mostly stuff recommended to you by algorithms. This kills our creativity because we are just thinking about the same stuff that every other person is getting recommended at this moment. There’s no room for us to think your own thoughts, we just jump from latest thing to latest thing and sound like a twitter summarizer bot at parties.
There’s a simple way to solve this. You get to indulge your love of information. BUT, only if you searched for it first.
Want to look at twitter? Don’t look at the feed, search for something relevant to you. Want to watch a YouTube video? Search for something you care about, something relevant to your perspective.
When you seek out information you are spontaneously curious about, it connects to real problems in your life, things you might have a genuine opportunity to influence. If you consume algorithmic content, your head fills up with problems you can’t do anything about. It’s paralyzing.
It’s important to write, take walks or sit and stare at a tree or even a wall. That’s where the ideas find their space to entire your mind.
> This kills our creativity because we are just thinking about the same stuff that every other person is getting recommended at this moment.
I agree with you on “no time to think our own thoughts” but I really don’t think this part about algorithms is true. 50 years ago, people were “recommended” way less stuff. Most televisions had less channels than there are videos on your YouTube homepage. And your page is different than mine.
I mean, I wouldn’t have even seen this comment of yours. Maybe in a letter to the editor?
It’s the extreme diversity inside non-diversity that’s the problem. The monotonous novelty. Want an opinion on last week’s F1 race? Sure, here’s a hundred from a hundred people. Video about pottery in Greece? Have a thousand of those, all slightly different, all engaging in their own way. And pick the political opinion of your choice and I can find more people than an ancient Human would meet in their entire lifetime all acting as if this obviously true. It’s enough to convince your brain that anyone who thinks differently is a danger and should be immediately exiled from the tribe.
There’s a simple way to solve this. You get to indulge your love of information. BUT, only if you searched for it first.
Want to look at twitter? Don’t look at the feed, search for something relevant to you. Want to watch a YouTube video? Search for something you care about, something relevant to your perspective.
When you seek out information you are spontaneously curious about, it connects to real problems in your life, things you might have a genuine opportunity to influence. If you consume algorithmic content, your head fills up with problems you can’t do anything about. It’s paralyzing.
It’s important to write, take walks or sit and stare at a tree or even a wall. That’s where the ideas find their space to entire your mind.