Everyone creates content. Some just don't monetize it yet. A random person posting their lunch pic isn't eye catching but when a celebrity does the same thing, it's content.
In the AI age, everyone can prompt their content or enhance what they already have going. If this shitpost can be done in less than 15 minutes, I just need a few words and AI can mimic how I write and do the shitpost in a few seconds. Now multiply me with people who likes to take a dip on content creation or be an influencer, whatever that is. AI slop is a symptom of an emerging problem. AI just made barriers to entry for content creation easier to overcome and that's good news until you realize not everyone is actually good at content creation or has a marketable personality to sell anything (their name, life or brand). But everyone will still compete for the brief attention just to get somewhere. Like this shitpost.
More content means more competition.
You give a few seconds of your time before you scroll past a content because there's so many options to choose from.
But the good stuff, or at least, the ones that are worthwhile tend to take up a lot of your time. That good book or story needs some time to build up the tension and you getting invested on it. So when you engage in platforms that try to trigger your dopamine spike every 3 seconds, the slow tension building or time to reflect your thoughts gets exchanged for another content that repeats the cycle.
Generic content becomes worthless.
Much like how people talk about their vacation or their backstory, most stories are so generic and relatable they become lack luster.
There's a bandwagon happening and everyone can just do the same joke with different actors. The audience suspends their disbelief as if they haven't seen how things end the first time and this is probably the format entertainment has been running on social media more than half the time. I've hungered for art that made me think, feel, and reflect but I get AI slop so the only kick I get is watching documentaries on how the masters used to draw back in the old days.
Personal experience becomes more valuable.
Only when you know how to sell that experience. I'm convinced that anyone who genuinely doesn't think they need to work for the attention they receive has a narcissistic trait. Even the best performers need to hone their skills for the crowd to have something to applaud to.
Reputation becomes more important.
It always has been. In the digital age, everyone has digital footprints so think twice before posting something you're going to regret decades after. Remember how some memes or throwbacks age like so bad even if these were posted decades ago? cancel culture makes it a point not to take your present lightly.
Thanks for your time.