I’ve mentally drafted 500 versions of this essay, but figured I’d free write instead. What could possibly go wrong when I don’t edit myself? Maybe nothing! Let’s find out.
It’s been a weird few weeks. I’ve been thinking about how fun working at Twitter was once upon a time, but also how often our lives were in danger. Like when the company refused to censor political content in India, because of free speech, and the Indian government responded with threats that forced colleagues into hiding. The internet wasn’t a separate place then, and it certainly isn’t today.
When I launched this newsletter five years ago, I surmised that we were living through a sfumato—the soft transition between light and dark shades. In other words, we occupied a liminal space that was both online and offline (this became the newsletter name. Yeah, I’ve never been less creative in my entire life). Five years later, both worlds have collided into enmeshed chaos. Thank you to COVID, Obama, and memes. Seriously, though, several anecdotes point to this reality—
Cultural polarity bleeds into irl outcomes
Mainstream media is dead. Nobody cares about TV, newspapers, local outlets, or large publications anymore. Power and influence is concentrating in social media, platforms that incentivize engagement (for ad revenue) and, in turn, reward extreme content while leaving moderate positions unheard. Of course, the new media projects like Joe Rogan and Call Her Daddy that are native to these platforms are also opinionated. When they host biased people, they get more engagement and revenue. Everything is computer. TV (irl) is now podcasts (url). Why be shocked that podcasts influenced an election?
Social atrophy restricts irl interactions
Gen Z doesn’t party. Gen Z doesn’t drink. Gen Z doesn’t date. What exactly do these kids do other than pop Zyns and complain on the internet? The data makes the group sound like the biggest generation of losers, and I’m unconvinced it’s justified.
Or maybe it is????? Some men won’t walk up to women because maybe they’ll see them on a dating app, and they prefer to approach them there. Did the collective forget the English language, how to say hello?? Or is everyone so scared of rejection that they’d rather not try? Nike just launched a Why Do It campaign to reflect the times. Just Do It is no more. The general public is on a sad cocktail of learned helplessness and anxiety.
Though it’s been years since COVID, social skills continue to decline. Young people have limited emotional energy or motivation to engage with new people (please look up the Gen Z Stare). I knew we were in trouble when the internet started debating if you’re obligated to help friends move. What friends? Do people actually have friends these days (the data is bleak), or does the moving issue resolve itself?
Anyway, I see how guys are intimidated by dating with a single glance at the data. God forbid a man is 5’8’ and doesn’t have his own apartment!!! Cultural polarity hits again, leading to social atrophy, leading to withdrawal …
Online compensates for real life
There’s a game on Roblox that’s been played more than 71 billion times. Brookhaven is a virtual city where 500,000 simultaneous players can own a house, drive cool cars, and pose as ICE officials or baristas. It’s basically multi-player Sims, but at massive scale.
Unsurprisingly, lala land appeals to young players who never expect to own anything, let alone see their social security benefits, not that they have or can get jobs! The discord we see online is real life. It’s the shameless rug pull in crypto, leaving retail investors destitute. It’s the rising petty crime around the country. It’s the outrage marketing from American Eagle, elf, and Cluely. It’s the disconnect between single men and women, rising unemployment, decline in religion, and empty malls. It’s all connected chaos.
America didn’t know the rapture was happening this week until the news spread like a cancer through social media in seven days. People sold their cars and homes! And they’re still here! The rapture didn’t happen! If believers had no internet, would they have gone into religious psychosis and made such life-altering decisions? Maybe not.
What I’m trying to say is, this newsletter is no longer online-offline. We’re past that. Welcome to BIAS.
— Holyn
Further reading
Gen Z are eating dinner at 6pm — and it’s because they’re losers
Gen Z’s gender divide reaches beyond politics