1. On Doom-Scrolling
Infinite scroll has ruined the internet.
This is a controversial opinion because on the surface, infinite scroll is the epitome of the internet, right? And our newsfeeds are getting more engagement, more clicks, and more eyeballs than ever before — so haven’t we given the market what it wants? But I do think that there is such a thing as too much. Some days, I’m on TikTok or some other feed, only to look up and realize I’ve spent the entire day sitting on my phone.
While physical newspapers have their flaws, the beauty of a newspaper is that it’s finite. There’s a beginning and an end, and when you finish reading a newspaper, you’re done. You don’t have 1000 more pages appearing out of thin air for you to read. You’ve read enough, and you can stop and feel informed, and go about your day.
In our digital world, we need boundaries. And in order for us to be able to set better boundaries, we need a better sense of what is healthy for us to consume in terms of our information diet — which brings me to my second hot take.
2. On Content Diets
Imagine eating a big plate of broccoli versus a small scoop of ice cream. Even if you match up the calories point by point, these foods still differ substantially in nutritional value, which hugely impacts our bodies and our physical health.
Just like the nutritional value of food, not all information is created equal either. In a constant, 24/7 digital news cycle, the type of content we consume matters, affecting everything from our ideas about the world, to what we believe is possible for our future, to the very fabric of the society we live in.
So here’s a new concept to consider: the quality of the information we consume directly impacts our well-being, the same way our diet directly affects our health. But for something so influential on our brains, the content environment we live in today can be absolutely toxic.
Why isn’t there a way to gauge whether a piece of content is nourishing or junk? Why are there few to no warning labels for misinformation, harmful content, or fake news? Why aren’t there any safeguards for how much information is healthy for the average person to consume on a daily basis?
There’s an urgent need for clear-cut boundaries and healthier information diets in our society today, and seemingly no one is talking about this.
3. On Artificial Intelligence
It’s been over a year since AI has been the talk of the valley, but most Americans are still unsure how artificial intelligence is going to shape our future. While many in the media industry are scared of AI, I personally think these technologies can be game-changing for the future of media creation and consumption.
Think back to our time in school, where it was obvious that students all had different learning styles. Some were visual learners, preferring to look at movies or pictures. Some liked to listen to lectures or recorded audio. Others learned by reading and taking notes, and still others favored hands-on experimentation.
When we think about media today, we think about content that’s predestined to be in a certain format: an article is just an article, a video is just a video. But AI now makes it possible to change mediums with one click. An article can be turned into a video, which can be turned into a podcast, which can be turned back into text. You can build an AI layer transforming any piece of content into whatever form is best suited for each user.
This is revolutionary because it means no matter how or what your preferred style of learning or listening is, you can access ideas easily. It also means that what’s going to matter in the future is not the form factor of the content you consume, but the quality of the source.
At Zette, we’re moving to change how society consumes media by building a platform that aims to empower users with diverse perspectives and true critical thinking abilities. With our credit-based system and upcoming AI advancements, we’re fostering a healthier relationship with the media — and in turn, with each other, too.
If you’re interested in the future of media that we’re building at Zette, we invite you to join the revolution today.
— The Zette Team
