In reading through the comments and your replies, it struck me that a human life absolutely has a dollar value associated with it in YouTube’s eyes.
I mean, they make their money by getting us to donate minutes/hours of our lives to their platform and, more importantly, their commercials. I wonder what the going rate is for a minute of my life, for an hour, for a lifetime.
I would love to see the numbers on the $/minute of life. There is probably a good reason they keep that secret. I wonder how many people would limit their use if they knew how much money others were profiting off of their one resource they will never get more of - their time. Thank you for reading, John.
This analogy between imbibing and Youtube is apt and one I'll be mulling over. Some parallels, some differences. Alcohol could be used for courage, while Youtube is used for fun, but also escape. I might need to draw a Venn diagram🙂
A Venn would be epic. Two radically different mediums, but the similarities in both being simulations of sorts and blinding us - if we let them - to what matters was what I was trying to triangulate. I have many arguments against "moderation in all things", but with these two, moderation seems to be key.
This is one of my struggles. How many times have I disappeared down some dark algorithmic alley for minutes or hours, only to come back up blinking, confused — how did I get here? Why am I so foggy?
Related: The many people I know who bemoan not having the time or attention span for reading anymore. Yet the average Youtube user is spending 28 hours per month. You can read a hell of a lot of books in 28 hours. Same can be said of social media.
If we assume 1/page/minute reading speed, that is 60/pages/hour. Over 28 hours, that is 1,680 pages per month that are not being read. That is 3 medium sized books - worlds of wisdom. I am just as guilty of it as anyone else, but the more we think on it, the harder it is to fall for the next video.
Love the painting you chose. Indeed, brick for stone and tar for mortar were chosen way back then. "So we can make a name for ourselves" the Scripture you write follows with.
The story goes God didn't like this gathering and scattered it by confusing the language. But here we are today gathered again. Some on youtube some elsewhere. This is Babel within. I don't think there is any need for further confusion. But some might wonder if the end result of our gathering might have a scattering. I would only add, don't assume the same causality. The first scattering happed because man's name for himself was going to be fulfilled not by man's doing. And certainly not by man's speed. This got done 2 thousand years ago.
Jet lag is getting there while your mind will catch up later. Sleep cycle disrupted. It is unnatural to travel far by speeds that place you in the wrong sun light you woke up that morning.
Doing more and more by less and less, as described by the choice of bricks and tar, is also found in the McLuhan's writings.
We are extracting benefits in unnatural rates of speed. We are done with the natural way and have the need to see more. To be seen more also.
We seek acknowledgement at all cost. By our means. We have managed the production of food in high speeds too. If only we could speed the time fruit rippens-
Which McLuhan writing are you referring to? Is this worth reading up on?
I appreciate your comment about growing fruit faster. One of the reasons I have fig, pomegranate, and olive trees is to savor how slow and rich the process it to lay my hands on one beautiful fig. Time slows down when I witness each trees ever so slow evolution each year.
Thank you as always for your perspective, Persephone. You leave me with much to think on.
The laws of media, or the lost tetrad, by Eric McLuhan and Marshall McLuhan. It has a deductive perspective on what happens to the mind when new technologies become part of our world. Much like the wheel and or canon that replaced one way of living with another, technology too has that effect. Thank you Sam.
It is strange how many times McLuhan has come up in the last 30 days. I assume it means something. I actually bought his Understanding Media book a few days ago, and will now order the Lost Tetrad. I really appreciate the recommendation.
That part about adhering to “sacred laws of his own choosing so that when he saw the contrast between simulation and reality” sparks two observations and questions: (1) what does it say about the core beliefs and tenets driving 21st century’s humanity that we depend as much time craving and exploiting the algorithm as life passes by?; and (2) what happens when the sacred laws we’ve chosen are self destructive an/or support/advocate for efforts to increase other’s pain and suffering, and time spent in the algorithms is used to reinforce that.?
I hope you enjoyed it. We live in interesting times - there is so much to think about. And I can only imagine there is going to be more and more the faster things change. Thank you as always for reading.
"But what is the inflection point at which we stop training the algorithm and the algorithm starts training us?"
I think of all the people whose 'opinions' are nothing but a parroting of their party's talking points. Are they too dumb to not realize this? Perhaps they get a dopamine rush from repeating the mantra of their party. Repeating the lies is like making a loyalty oath.
It is a proven component of human nature that many people seek to conform rather than seek to self-define. They will wait and watch the others, and then mimic to the smallest detail. It is a marketer's wet dream.
In reading through the comments and your replies, it struck me that a human life absolutely has a dollar value associated with it in YouTube’s eyes.
I mean, they make their money by getting us to donate minutes/hours of our lives to their platform and, more importantly, their commercials. I wonder what the going rate is for a minute of my life, for an hour, for a lifetime.
Thanks for making me think!
I would love to see the numbers on the $/minute of life. There is probably a good reason they keep that secret. I wonder how many people would limit their use if they knew how much money others were profiting off of their one resource they will never get more of - their time. Thank you for reading, John.
As one said: "Sun wasn't free"
That price per minute is a hefty bill no one can pay by himself.
Poetically said.
Nice one, Sam, thoroughly enjoyed it :)
Thank you - I'm stoked you found value!
This analogy between imbibing and Youtube is apt and one I'll be mulling over. Some parallels, some differences. Alcohol could be used for courage, while Youtube is used for fun, but also escape. I might need to draw a Venn diagram🙂
A Venn would be epic. Two radically different mediums, but the similarities in both being simulations of sorts and blinding us - if we let them - to what matters was what I was trying to triangulate. I have many arguments against "moderation in all things", but with these two, moderation seems to be key.
That one gave me a much needed slap in the face Sam. Thank You
You are welcome - it worked wonders for me as well.
👍🏻
This is one of my struggles. How many times have I disappeared down some dark algorithmic alley for minutes or hours, only to come back up blinking, confused — how did I get here? Why am I so foggy?
My life is now full of masts which I lash myself to as I sail close to the rapture: https://open.substack.com/pub/andrewperlot/p/how-to-stop-making-mistakes-you-really?r=1xulhu&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Related: The many people I know who bemoan not having the time or attention span for reading anymore. Yet the average Youtube user is spending 28 hours per month. You can read a hell of a lot of books in 28 hours. Same can be said of social media.
If we assume 1/page/minute reading speed, that is 60/pages/hour. Over 28 hours, that is 1,680 pages per month that are not being read. That is 3 medium sized books - worlds of wisdom. I am just as guilty of it as anyone else, but the more we think on it, the harder it is to fall for the next video.
I dunno what’s better—the essay or the comments? So much wisdom in your tribe Sam ☺️
Thank you Dee! I have been truly blessed. I couldn't ask for more interesting people to work through these ideas with.
Love the painting you chose. Indeed, brick for stone and tar for mortar were chosen way back then. "So we can make a name for ourselves" the Scripture you write follows with.
The story goes God didn't like this gathering and scattered it by confusing the language. But here we are today gathered again. Some on youtube some elsewhere. This is Babel within. I don't think there is any need for further confusion. But some might wonder if the end result of our gathering might have a scattering. I would only add, don't assume the same causality. The first scattering happed because man's name for himself was going to be fulfilled not by man's doing. And certainly not by man's speed. This got done 2 thousand years ago.
Jet lag is getting there while your mind will catch up later. Sleep cycle disrupted. It is unnatural to travel far by speeds that place you in the wrong sun light you woke up that morning.
Doing more and more by less and less, as described by the choice of bricks and tar, is also found in the McLuhan's writings.
We are extracting benefits in unnatural rates of speed. We are done with the natural way and have the need to see more. To be seen more also.
We seek acknowledgement at all cost. By our means. We have managed the production of food in high speeds too. If only we could speed the time fruit rippens-
They dupe and sell what isn't sellable. Life.
We are heading somewhere alright. Fast!
It is indeed "Babel within."
Which McLuhan writing are you referring to? Is this worth reading up on?
I appreciate your comment about growing fruit faster. One of the reasons I have fig, pomegranate, and olive trees is to savor how slow and rich the process it to lay my hands on one beautiful fig. Time slows down when I witness each trees ever so slow evolution each year.
Thank you as always for your perspective, Persephone. You leave me with much to think on.
The laws of media, or the lost tetrad, by Eric McLuhan and Marshall McLuhan. It has a deductive perspective on what happens to the mind when new technologies become part of our world. Much like the wheel and or canon that replaced one way of living with another, technology too has that effect. Thank you Sam.
It is strange how many times McLuhan has come up in the last 30 days. I assume it means something. I actually bought his Understanding Media book a few days ago, and will now order the Lost Tetrad. I really appreciate the recommendation.
That part about adhering to “sacred laws of his own choosing so that when he saw the contrast between simulation and reality” sparks two observations and questions: (1) what does it say about the core beliefs and tenets driving 21st century’s humanity that we depend as much time craving and exploiting the algorithm as life passes by?; and (2) what happens when the sacred laws we’ve chosen are self destructive an/or support/advocate for efforts to increase other’s pain and suffering, and time spent in the algorithms is used to reinforce that.?
These are two incredible questions, and both are going to define our age. Let us hope we can come up with the right answers.
Ah, Sam, you always get me thinking. And sometimes, you make me think so hard it hurts—ouch!
I hope you enjoyed it. We live in interesting times - there is so much to think about. And I can only imagine there is going to be more and more the faster things change. Thank you as always for reading.
"But what is the inflection point at which we stop training the algorithm and the algorithm starts training us?"
I think of all the people whose 'opinions' are nothing but a parroting of their party's talking points. Are they too dumb to not realize this? Perhaps they get a dopamine rush from repeating the mantra of their party. Repeating the lies is like making a loyalty oath.
It is a proven component of human nature that many people seek to conform rather than seek to self-define. They will wait and watch the others, and then mimic to the smallest detail. It is a marketer's wet dream.
And that is yet an even greater algorithm than YouTube or alcohol - ideology. That one too is a worthy fight.