Whose Skeleton Are You Wearing?

There was a time when Video Entertainment was just taking off as a medium.
That was a longggggggggggggg time ago.
I am talking the late-1800s.

Fast-forward to the eclipse of 2020, we are a fully evolved video-based economy.
Everything is instant and captured on screen.
Job Interviews, Dating Profiles, Online MBA & Masters Degrees, and the traditional avenues of Entertainment such as movie theatres and cable.

The advance of video has no doubt resulted in a large increase in consumption of video based products, especially related to Entertainment.
We are a Streaming Generation.
We stream at the bus-stop. We Stream at work. We stream at home.
The only time we don't stream is when the stream is paused or downloading.
Our voracious appetite for streaming has led to clear marketplace domination of streaming companies such as Netflix and Amazon.


However, there are obvious repercussions to streaming.
The most damaging one is my opinion is the distortion of our reality.
The beliefs, conclusions, synapses, lies, deception, assumptions, conditioning, re-conditioning we acquire from movies, songs, lyrics, tv shows and talk show/podcast hosts.
There is, without doubt, tons of positive content being put out into the world to attract an audience and help improve our mental psyche and physical/material lives.
However, there are some really dark pieces of consumption in the video compartment.
I am not even talking about pornography here, which is not necessarily evil on its own.
Instead, I want to reference dark music videos that promote false-sexuality and exploit the shame and guilt all human beings are susceptible to, in their vulnerable state.

Sure, you can say that what one consumes in the Video Medium is completely their choice. You can even ramble on about free will. This doesn't change the fact that we're largely social creatures subjected to large and heavy social pressures to fit in, watch what everyone is watching and see/feel/do what everyone else is doing. This is especially true for urban dwellers who largely function in an almost-niche type of friends circle. We naturally end up listening and watching content that does not necessarily align with our authentic nature, values or morals. Forget all that.


What strikes the most uncomfortable chord in me is the exploitation of basic human emotions.
All for the bottom-line.
Just to keep the views coming.
Just to reach the Top 40 charts.
Just to reach.
There is reckless honing in on peoples' fears, insecurities, shameful past, guilt about the future and the inherent bottom-less pit of their emotional needs.
Video makers understand these fragilities so well that they are sacrificed at the altar of every 30-second sound bite.
The end result is, of course, a dramatic increase in the neurosis we acquire as both individuals and as a collective whole.


Neurotic:

The Urban Dictionary defines it as "An Epidemic. Worse than the Bubonic Plague. A Mass Epidemic affecting Poor Urbanites and Socialites on an equal level. It leaves no room for Interpretation or a Happy Medium. Engaged in the complete malignment of one's sense of self and identity if there ever was such a thing". 

By that definition, we are all neurotic, even the monks of the Himalayas who cater so carefully to their image of being oh so fucking zen. However, they didn't need to listen to 50 Cent to gain neurosis. Theirs was probably thanks to the mountain goats that sang their infectious and annoying tunes. Which is probably the reason they learned to tune out the world in the first place.


So back to the NEUROSIS OF VIDEO.
It's there. It's Real.
It is Extremely Toxic and Damaging if consumed without proper awareness.
It is also probably as addicting as Junk Food.
It can lead to over-consumption of other products (Beauty/Houses/Expensive Cars), without addressing the underlying issue of what causes guilt and shame in the first place.
Perhaps I will make a video that will cover why.
In the meantime, skip anything that makes your stomach queasy like McDonald's fries. Or at least limit them to once a week like me.