Just think about this, whatever your child or your niece, nephew and some strangers kids are feeding their eyes with is likely attached to a clown or maybe a cynical conglomerate that knows social media and children fed algorithms will make them rich. Those little eyes looking for comfort, or simplistic entertainment and viral content are creating the future millionaires, perhaps billionaires given inflation.
In the past television had dedicated time spots and channels for children, then the internet and the many devices gave us access to so much media that ignorance should be impossible. Rather, we stopped searching and seeking out things and instead allow the algorithm to dribble before our eyes, liking and on sharing these micro clips or memes to others with a vapid fascination. It’s entertaining. Now imagine you are a child.
The average attention span of the adult…who am I kidding, reading over five hundred words in one sitting is almost impossible for many grown men now, let alone boys. The girls and women are still reading but that tends to meander into paranormal romance, self help and the mental health diatribe. We understand the dangers of gorging ourselves on junk food, over eating and not exercising. It is still fashionable to shame the obese, it is after all most of them expressing a choice and a lifestyle. Exceptions exist.
As for those who have mental obesity, that is celebrated. Why are those who are wilfully ignorant celebrating it? The disdain for books and reading is not a glorious feat, sitting through three hour long shitfests sold as cinema but having no time to read a book, or anything is a rather fascinating statement. Maybe making a model kit, or indulging in crafts or something alternative to what one would ordinarily do to challenge the mind. Those little kids, they absorb and see. They can’t hear you over what you are doing.
And as much as you may find Mr Beast, Destiny, Ninja, the Pauls and well I just can’t keep up, odd and not the best of role models. What are you doing to counter those influences. When Mr Jarfart starts spitting out his content to the delight of little children being babysat for much of their day from devices, in a decade or so time he will become rich and influential. Politics and influence will attach to his brand and in the age where the Hollywood celebrity is waning through arrogant suicide, they will be replaced by social media miscellaneous. You are in control of who becomes that next big thing.
In the wake of the Tyson – Paul fight memes circulate of vintage clips from when the young aspiring influencer goofed his way to fame. Children made him a celebrity. They fed him his wealth, he entertained them so that he could afford a lifestyle unimaginable to most and become who he is today. Mike Tyson is the past, the demographic that he appealed to is no longer important. The immature child has control now and the tragedy of it, is that is not a demographic determined by age but a population who now indulge in ignorance and a widespread inability to verify and research, instead clips or whoever Joe Rogan has on is the current expert. One minute Terrence Howard is solving the universes answers with his mathematics of perfect bullshit, the next we are being sold green powder to replace vegetables by Hubberman. You listen because it is in your feed, not because you sought it out. What information retained become factoids, not places for further enquiry.
Those children, are no different. Though they know don’t know better. The parents and the adults should. Instead of stimulating and challenging them and setting examples of seeking out information, searching for it and delving into it. Those were skills once cherished in the Information Age, the feed is now God. Somewhat custom and reflective of what your habits are but manipulated, do you care so long as it entertains.
The children don’t because they seek out the reviewers of the most popular game. Mr Jarfart will do his playthroughs and no scope noobs ( I don’t care if that is current bushcamping venicular, I played MS DOS games when none of that was said), to them it’s entertaining and spreads his influence. He follows the Pewdiepie and Mr Beast method, though he transcends them because it is a new era, new platforms and new games. Rich, famous, influential.
Once he matures and drops the fart from his name, he has already arrived at the table of celebrity. The small network of podcasts that are esteemed above all others will have him on and he will thrive where it matters, then the ancient goblins of power will seek his endorsement. Just as Jimmy Saville once had the Royal families confidence and enjoyed privileges among the British government so too can other clowns who are adored by children, all harmless fun really. Gaining the ear of the powerful, influencing the minds of millions, all because he once farted in a jar.
