Nothing gets to stand alone in the stream, and the experience of reading it can only be explained as absurd, incohesive, and disorienting. The reason our feeds eventually become all jokes and rage is because they’re both hysterical—the only thread that can tie it all together.
It’s surprising how quickly we consented to reading everything through streams and algorithms, and how ill-equipped we are to emotionally manage it. Everything is slotted alongside anything else, so it is natural to feel like everything is connected, but nothing in the world fits together. We all know how streams and advertising illicit anger through rage mechanics, but less has been said in popular media of how algorithms and big data incite paranoia and magical thinking.
January 04, 2020