Dissatisfied With the Content Creation Status Quo
I was going to start this post by noting that it probably won’t be well received. Measured and considered criticism seldom finds an audience and the go to riposte to such writing is “you’re just whining” and other knee-jerk, stock remarks. However, upon mature reflection and sober deliberation, I came to the conclusion that it really doesn’t matter if this doesn’t go down especially well, because so few people will read this. Something that is integral to the points I shall try to convey.
I recently watched a video on Patreon by someone who I actively support as a “content creator” and whose work I enjoy. I shall provide no more detail regarding their identity because they may not want their work referenced with regard to what I am going to say. During the course of their video they briefly referenced the work put into promoting a podcast they are currently producing and the relatively low audience that it has garnered so far. The comments were an aside and most certainly not said with any sense of self-pity. They were simply a statement of fact. Furthermore, I suspect they are far from unique and similar sentiments have been expressed in one way or another by anyone who has created something the published it online, only for it to be lost among the greater white noise” of the wider internet.
I’ve been blogging since 2007 and over the years have become part of an ad-hoc community that has come together and grown through various vicarious means. It used to be predominantly about blogging about video games but through a series of year events designed to promote writing online, it has now become much broader in scope. We’re now a community of variety bloggers and niche fandom writers. There are some very good writers among us, as well as those who have engaging personalities. A decade or so ago, consistently writing in specific areas of fandom would yield results and you could find an audience. Not so much today.
But let’s not just focus on writing online. The point I want to explore is relevant to streamers, podcasters and YouTube channels just as much as bloggers. Simply put there is no meritocracy as I see it, anymore. People whose material deserves a wider audience do not find one. A lot of talent goes unnoticed and unrewarded. Furthermore, to add insult to injury, those writers, podcasters and YouTubers that have nothing to offer but “hot takes”, controversy and entry level oafish buffoonery gain an audience and often financially benefit from their material.
Now some will argue that this is simply the way of the free market and if more cerebral material doesn’t “sell” then simply start churning out what does. IE clickbait. Others will argue that anything vaguely ethical, thought provoking or that is based in facts and data is out of vogue. Both prospects are utterly demoralising. If I honestly thought that we now live in a world where the idiots have definitively won, then I would bother getting up in the morning. However, I do not believe that to be the case. Because I still regularly meet and interact with people who like and enjoy good material and who eschew the tabloid clickbait that is ubiquitous online these days. Which begs the question, why are things like they are?
The answer lies with the big corporations that own all the major platforms for sharing content online. I think most of us have determined that the major algorithms used by these platforms are skewed towards specific types of content. Multiple studies have found that the algorithms prioritise engagement metrics (clicks, comments and watch time) for “controversial” content. Such content is served by default to new accounts, regardless of the viewer preferences. I recently created a new Facebook account to keep in touch with some friends in the US. My profile contained the bare minimum of data about myself and my preferences. Yet I was immediately served “recommended videos” by political parties, news stations and influencers that I abhor and revile. At present the business model for most social media platforms gives a structural advantage to content that is provocative, controversial, or emotionally charged. In my experience, such material is seldom intellectually rigorous, honest and most importantly of all, entertaining.
It is important to be able to correctly audit your own feelings and state of mind. When I think about the fact that so many good bloggers, YouTubers and streamers are simply falling between the cracks and getting overlooked, I don’t get angry. Nor am I especially jealous of those who find success with little talent. Such revenue stream are vicarious. My main feeling is one of dissatisfaction. Because the status quo serves no one but the social media platforms. Yes, there is good content out there but it is becoming increasingly difficult to find. Furthermore, the process of attrition, a factor that all content creators face, is accelerated when one people feel that they’re making no progress. Hence the status quo actively contributes to good, creative individuals quitting the scene.
So, there you have it. I’m dissatisfied. Am I going stop blogging? Not at the moment. I don’t feel disposed to be driven off the internet, be it indirectly, by the fact that there’s a lot of shit out there that drowns out everything else. However, my present mindset does have an impact on my writing schedule. But I take comfort in the fact that it is likely that I am not the only one who feels this way and that others are not happy with either current “market forces” or the existing business model. Surely racing to the bottom and continuously serving clickbait has a finite lifespan? Will there be a reset of some kind when the public finally tire of such material? May be. But not at present. Which brings an old adage to mind. What can’t be cured, must be endured. But not necessarily with good grace. If the status quo pisses you off, say so.
