Humanity is Doomed — The Constant Need for Attention
Our society has eliminated boredom and is overshoring creativity to Generative AI.
There is no denying it, we are doomed. And here’s why.
In the world today, and especially in western society, the belief that we have the ability to sustain attention on a single subject for longer than a week is pervasive. Our mainstream media, with its relentless production of talk shows, gossip, and various forms of sensationalism, certainly fuels this myth.
The unfortunate reality of our modern culture is this: we simply lack the ability to focus on anything substantial for a period long enough to actually make it matter. This is a lamentable truth, a direct consequence of our insatiable craving for stimulation and newness.
But perhaps there’s a glimmer of change on the horizon?
Take the recent Ukrainian conflict and the enduring COVID pandemic, for instance. These issues have managed to command consistent media attention and seep into the public consciousness for a duration that far exceeds the typical news cycle.
Yet, the pressing question remains.
Why, in our modern age, do we suffer from such drastic shortening of attention spans, and such a startling deficit of creativity, that we find ourselves leaning heavily on Generative AI?
The answer, surprisingly, is rather straightforward.
We have effectively eradicated boredom. That’s right, boredom — the very state our brain requires to catalyze profound creativity and deep thought.
Thanks to the ubiquitous influence of modern technology, opportunities for boredom are few and far between. Instead, we’re constantly burying our faces in smartphones, computers, televisions, with a never-ending parade of devices vying for our attention.
What’s more, the content we consume has become increasingly abbreviated.
The rise of TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels signals a seismic shift towards short-form content as the dominant media format of the future. This rapid-fire consumption of information only serves to further truncate our attention spans, establishing a vicious cycle of continual mental snacking on disjointed fragments of information.
And the worst part? We’re addicted to it. We love it.
Platforms like TikTok are leveraging the power of AI to custom-tailor a stream of ‘For You’ content, ensuring there’s always something new to consume each time you open the app. This double-edged sword of short-form content and AI-driven novelty is brutally efficient in obliterating our ability to focus.
