These days, just about everywhere you turn some content creator is trying to grab your attention, whether its YouTube, Tik-Tok, or any other social media outlet. Everybody seems to have their own podcast show these days, and everybody appears to be an expert on, well, everything. Is there really an audience for all of this content? And how do audiences discern between true expertise, and other fraudsters simply pumping out junk for clicks and revenue? Are we racing toward a day where there will be more content creators than viewers?!
Why so many talking heads today?
Whether you channel surf or cruise online, it’s almost impossible to avoid content creators and podcasters. Many of these folks are people who previously worked in the media and have found their second careers going out on their own, but there are many more self-appointed experts with a microphone, headphones, and empty garage who have their own shows, and boast of their unique expertise. Is there really that much to talk about? And are these the best people to be talking about important issues?
Aside from building up your ego by slapping on a set of headphones and talking into a microphone, why are there so many content creators today? The easy answer is revenue, as the more clicks = more ads = more money. While most would-be experts a generation ago would have self-audited their level of expertise, today’s podcasters have no shame quickly proclaiming their “expertise” as they chase every last dollar with salacious stories, controversies, and radical opinions. It’s basically become the National Enquirer on steroids in digital form!
With so many content creators, how do any of them ever get noticed and draw attention away from the competition? The easy answer is be controversial!!!! Who cares if what you say is accurate, helpful, or truthful, so long as people pay attention you get paid!! Tell people to pour ketchup on their lawn to help their grass grow, or throw out a hair brain conspiracy story that goats landed on the moon — who really cares, no sooner than the end of the segment it will already becomes yesterdays news.
Perhaps the bigger question is not around the content creators, but about us — the audience — and why we lean into this kind of “news?” Why do we sit and watch brain-rot junk? Is it really that interesting and worth your time to watch an influencer put on eye liner, or take a bite of a hamburger and rate the restaurant? Do we improve as people by watching podcasters drum up controversies that aren’t there, gin up artificial rage, or pile on vulnerable people? Click, watch…click, watch…click, watch. These behaviors more mimic a pigeon than they do intelligent human life.
While these quick dopamine hits might get you through a boring lull in the day, consuming daily content from podcasters, influencers, and content creators may not be the best thing for your mental health. In addition to the sedentary engagement with technology, our mental health is impacted by being artificially rage-baited and lied to, often leaving us depressed and anxious as a result. Yet we continue to take it in daily, always leaving a little room for the next great online “talent” who draws us in even more.
Final thoughts
The number of content creators, podcasters, and influencers seems to increase by the hour, mostly for their own ego and the hopes of making millions of dollars by doing a show from their basement. In order to gain an audience, however, you have to have clicks, and herein is where sizzle sells (regardless if any of it is true)! As consumers of this stuff, we need to do a better job vetting expertise, and to take a long look at the impact on our mental health from daily consumption of online information.
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