Seven years of journalism and the crisis my profession is facing — everyone loves to hate “the media” — led me to think deeply about the beast called “information sphere”.
Think about it.
1. We live in a world exploding with information: so much to read, watch and listen to. But more information doesn’t always lead to more understanding. Isolated trivia tidbits may make you sound smart at a party but may not lead to actionable change. The inability to deal with information overload can lead to paralysis: we simplify the world to confirm our biases, we give up on the truth.
2. We live in a world full of bullshit: someone out there is trying to sell you something. A product, a service, an idea, an ideology. What unites all bullshitters is their singular goal to persuade or impress. Not to lead you towards the truth.
3. We live in a world overdosing on entertainment: the tyranny of the lol. Don’t get me wrong. I love the creative energy on reels and remain amazed byt the great content on OTT. But we are at a point where the impulse for entertainment has turned positively toxic. We want fun even when we want to learn. That could be dangerous because the short-form highly-visual medium discourages reflection. It evokes emotional responses but is not suited for deep thought and learning.
Fighting this trio is one of the reasons why I do what I do.