ava's blog

kicking out human slop from my online space

I have made slow adjustments to my feed reader every other day now to exclude some empty negativity from my online space, and also to no longer click on some YouTube frontpage stuff.

Don't get me wrong: There is still plenty of negativity in there in some ways, but at least it is productive negativity that lets me know how Big Tech has messed up again, new privacy-invading laws, policy proposals and more that relate to my field of interest.

I am just no longer engaging with:

How I slid into this happened slowly. Some of the creators making these weren't always this way, I just noticed them pivoting more and more into this and now have lost interest. On the other hand, I often needed 30-60 minute videos for the treadmill, and these were easily available and at least somewhat entertaining. I am also not immune to certain shock topics.

But I want something more than just pointing at some rando and laughing, or saying how stupid this or that thing is, when this just increases its visibility and no one would really disagree anyway. No one thinks these people are reasonable or this product is the best thing since sliced bread, which is why there are no compelling arguments ever. It's just the most obvious takeaways, showing the original video in fullsize while they are in the corner.

It feels True Crime adjacent, as it is also thrilling, cathartic, validating, "yeah I also think this is bad, we are all in the in-group, we are the reasonable people, I am on the right side". Shock, upset, rage, disbelief, while being reassured by the creator that you aren't insane for feeling that way. At the same time, this builds a connection with you, because you are seemingly going through this "together". You feel happy when the creator comes to the same conclusions as you, like ahh, they're just like me! Maybe this type of online commentary genre should be called True Asshole, since you're not talking about crime, but assholes out there, and still employ the same tactics for viewers.

I'm okay with it if it's about showing up a general overarching trend and really adding some own perspective, analysis, studies, article excerpts, statistics etc. to the topic, with the focus being you, and an example here and there that is not focused on the person you took it from. I also love when there's a company analysis/takedown. But it is so boring and dreadful at this point to watch the same few YouTubers react to the same topic with the same video examples, where most of the video is just you being tricked into feeling like you're spending time with the creator watching stupid shit on their phone.

I am also tired of the flattening everywhere, which is at the core of why every video by some creators now is that way.

Everyone finds one thing that "works" and then obsessively laser-focuses on that to appease the opaque and mysterious algorithm and the mob. A switch is flipped, and they immediately make that their brand and only produce things in that style. Everyone carefully separates different aspects of themselves into different accounts and platforms, as if it was offensive to be multi-layered online (and I guess it is to the algorithm).

Even people who started something as a hobby and didn't plan for monetization are suddenly intrigued by it when one of their things pops off, and then the hunt for money changes everything, because more eyes = more money, and so you have to box yourself in to what the masses want.

Others look at that and then think "This is the proper way to vlog/blog/make commentary/..., I should do this too, and not whatever childish amateurish shit I have been doing where I just talk about what I enjoy!" and that's so wrong! They aren't doing it "correctly", you are just watching someone in a hamster wheel of their own making, pandering to what is most successful at the moment.

It's actually sad to see, because you enjoy the creations of great people that then go on to flatten themselves.

One piece with more plump, petty, crass language get more engagement because "Finally someone says it how it is! So cathartic to read!" and now every one of their releases is employing this as a strategy, usually getting more extreme with time.

There's a great writer I like to read, but reading his pieces, I always have to sort of ignore these petty squabbles because it just makes me sad, as they don't seem authentic and passionate anymore, but like he has locked himself into this Say-The-Line-esque role. There is also a YouTube channel I used to watch who gained popularity on ribbing a little on a specific company in good fun, and being embroiled in a legal battle with them at some point, but nowadays is just acting without any sort of class or professionalism about it as outrage and extremism makes more money. I cannot bear to watch him anymore, as I just see a capitalism muppet do a weird shtick and nothing more. Throwing good and reliable review content away for this is a sign of the times, I guess.

Anyway, more time and space for uplifting and genuinely creative things the creator actually wanted to make. :)

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#2026