The problem with creating content.
Content creator.
A word that has spread its wings only in the past few years with the rise of social giants like Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. It also seems like everyone with a phone could achieve this “title”, no matter the genre, or type of content. If yours is perceived as desirable by the algorithm, boom, you could be famous overnight. Here comes the problem though, especially for artists. Content destroys creativity. Sadly social media doesn't care how good you can sing, paint, or are at taking pictures. All it cares about is hooking the users on its platform, therefore pushing content favoring the algorithm. If you want to achieve success as an artist on these sites, you have to prioritize content that serves the algorithm which can lead long term to the death of creativity. Just think about it: Is the way you are producing “content” really your ideal vision as an artist too? Probably not…
But where did it go wrong?
It all started with the birth of the Influencer. Seems like a dream job right? No workplace, no boss, just being yourself, and receiving tons of free products. These days many dream about the influencer lifestyle, which is shoved in your face the moment you enter any social media platform. Making content for a living started to look like an achievable alternative to having an actual job, and this dream sparked millions of people to actively create content on those platforms, and not just consuming it.
The Pandemic only put gasoline on the already burning fire of the social media rat race. With everyone trapped inside their homes, even more people jumped on the influencer/content creator hype train, and a big following on any social media site got even more valuable than ever. This escalates into a devilish circle: More people create content, and more people go viral, therefore motivating other people to participate, the spiral starts again, and it gets from day to day harder to get through with a competition of creators bigger than ever before.
The economy adapts to this: A higher following and branding are worth to companies more than the actual content you create, quantity over quality in its purest form.
Of course, exceptions exist, with a lucky few who probably already have a big enough following and a fanbase offline so they just don't care about the pressure of social media and the fear of missing out on trends.
So what has to do all this with the extinction of creativity you may ask? Many people are chasing a big following (I am no exception, not denying it) and hoping that when they finally reach a bigger audience, they can create the art they want to, right? Sadly, the reality is a bit different. Experimenting with new content might be a risk to lose their audience, and their creativity is most likely trained to please the algorithm at that point. An additional factor may also be the fact, that your true art might not get the recognition or internet fame, as your “make-me-go-viral” art, which leads to disappointment, and discouragement to even posting that.
What's the solution?
You can pick your side. Quality, or quantity? While quantity might seem like the straightforward answer, just think about this. When was the last time, you saw actually a GOOD piece of content? Like…really good? I don't mean a viral funny cat video or TikTok dance, but something that actually earned more than 15 seconds of your attention and got stuck in your brain. The key is quality, which is a dying breed, and therefore becomes even more valuable from day to day, with the oversaturation of throwaway content on all platforms.
Therefore here are some ideas:
Create in-depth work
Have a small fanbase, but a true and close one, and serve them as they serve you.
See the big picture, and set long term goals instead of the short term fame of going viral
Give real value
Conclusion
As an artist myself, I don't want to go down the quantity route, even though the temptation is quite big, lurking around every corner on social media. I try to stay on my path and improve from day to day, eventually, it will be worth it. You have to keep in mind that the number of likes doesn’t reflect the quality of your work or your worth as a person! It might seem hard at first, especially in this world where quick success is glorified, but you have to let go of the pressure and pursue your own way and passion, or at least find a good balance of pleasing the algorithm, as well as your inner artist who lives for the passion.
Hopefully, this post gave you a little help and an insight into the world of a content creator.
What is your opinion on this topic? Feel free to share your thoughts!
