Consume, Self-Validate, Repeat.

The more times I browse screens, whether it’s checking social media, building a website, browsing YouTube, or reading the news. I notice increased FOMO and anxiety. This is no coincidence as many services are designed to do that in order maintain attention (Dark Patterns, Attention Economy, Social Engineering).

When surfing the web, reading the news, I can easily get immersed into the problems of the world. “Apathy is King” symbolises the need to not give a fuck about certain things in order to stay sane. Especially considering the size & volume of global issues in relation to myself. The personal need to not care causes injustices and evils to grow.

Capitalism is a bitter pill to swallow; it has been responsible for many of the technologies and innovations of the 20th & 21st century. The need to maintain it has led to content-driven economies. “Consume, Self-Validate, Repeat” represents that, and it’s my subconscious solution to navigate the world. A digital media pattern I observe in myself and observe in others, a widely accepted habit.

I sometimes question if this mindless cycle is a small price to pay. For if we all stopped going online, injustices would spread at an even more rapid rate. Perhaps business would drop and economies could collapse entirely. So I accept this cage but choose how I furnish it.