Soul for Sale
Andre 3000 of OutKast had a line that said, “if you say ”real talk“ I probably won’t trust ya”. It’s that feeling you get when someone has to state their honesty before giving you what should be expected of them in the first place, in which having them state it that way makes you not trust that individual. Instantly, your brain goes, “here comes some bullshit!”
I watch a lot of YouTube, to the point of having a Premium account because I hate ads and I also want to support the creators who deserve it. Lately, it feels like my suggested feed has really started to suck. All I have to do is watch any tech video and I’m now bombarded with videos from people I didn’t ask for stating their “honest” opinion about whatever smartphone or computer. That word “HONEST” in ALL CAPS gets an instant “fuck off” from my brain. Serious question here… why would you deliver a tech review and have the entire thing be horseshit? What purpose would that serve? How would that make anyone come back to you? Your honesty should be the default expectation to the point you never should have to state your honesty.
You want an example of someone who has never had to state his honesty? Marques Brownlee aka MKBHD. He’s been doing videos since he was a high schooler recording from his bedroom and has built himself into one of the most trusted voices in tech. He’s done this from simply giving his perspective on a product while backing it with some research to show he actually understands camera systems and memory, and yes, he also has some pretty good production behind it all. He’s very polished at this stage. But, at no point does he state anything as an end-all be-all take. He’s willing to be fluid, willing to evolve. He’s never stiff like a news journalist, but really comes across like someone you might know who just nerds out over this shit.
What gets tiring is the sales pitch that a certain take is the only way to believe. I get this from tech videos. I also get this from minimalism videos. I can get behind some aspects of minimalism, as I like things when they’re simpler and less noisy. But minimalism is being sold in a way online that almost makes it feel like a cult. All of them push this narrative that being a minimalist is the only way to be. So many of them talk like they’re actively trying to be the most boring person alive as if it were a crowning achievement. It starts to feel like an act and with that it begins to lose its sincerity.
Whenever someone tries to sell me on the one thing, whether it be the one app or the one method, there’s an instant feeling of distrust, and to a degree, annoyance. This isn’t because I believe what they’re pitching doesn’t work, but because I’m far too aware that not everything works for everyone. We’re all different. We all learn differently. This is why you’ll find dozens of high-end camera apps on the App Store, because numerous developers had their own distinct thoughts on how a camera app should work, behave, and which options it should offer. Few of these videos come across as “here’s something that worked for me, maybe it’ll work for you too”, but instead read as “this is the only way”.
I question if they know what tone this sets. I do feel like they’re playing the game the algorithm is asking them to. But in playing that game, there in turn ends up being a touch of desperation. Anytime there’s desperation, some degree of authenticity is lost along with the quality of the presentation. I fully understand the approach of “this might be something that works for you” doesn’t please the algorithm as much as a hardline stance or whatever SEO optimization, and further grades the video on how often it was clicked over if it was honest or not. Some folks will sell their soul for that engagement.
What’s even crazier to me is how this works on people. I work in retail and actually witnessed firsthand the Stanley Cup phenomenon. I don’t have a TikTok account. I refuse to have one. So, I wasn’t aware of how these things were being pushed on TikTok. The next thing I know, we’re having dedicated displays to these overpriced drink containers where people show up desperately thinking they need one of these things. Then, there’s the resell market, where people are willing to overpay tenfold for one of these things on the aftermarket. In no world is paying hundreds of dollars for a simple drink container reasonable or practical. And it didn’t stop with drink containers. My company now lists which items are trending across multiple categories from clothing to toys. It begs the question, how would people know what to buy if not for TikTok?
The result for me is this exhaustion of constantly having something sold to me. Social media platforms are less actually about connecting people these days as much as they’re just advertisement platforms. Even when I pay for something like YouTube Premium, the platform still rewards those who try to sell people something. You’re never really escaping ads in these spaces; the ads just come in a different flavor. It’s all a hustle. Yet, I have far more appreciation for those who come with a level of authenticity over anyone with the tone of a snake oil rep. For me it’s never worth selling your soul.