GROSS OVERCONSUMPTION OF CONTENT IS A GIVEN IN MOST OF OUR LIVES. WE LIVE GLUED TO SCREENS AND SPEND OUR DAYS PLAYING A GAME OF ROULETTE. EACH SWIPE IS ANOTHER GAMBLE. WHAT NEXT? SILLY KITTIES OR GRAPHIC VIOLENCE?

PEOPLE OFTEN FOCUS ON THE WAY THAT THIS STYLE OF CONTENT CONSUMPTION DESENSITIZES THE VIEWER. WHILE THAT IS CERTAINLY TRUE, WHAT ARE WE TO MAKE OF THE PARTS OF YOU THAT ARE, IN FACT, STILL VERY SENSITIVE TO THE CONTENT YOU CONSUME?

WHAT ARE WE TO MAKE OF THE FACT THAT YOUR MIND IS PROCESSING ALL OF THE BAGGAGE OF THAT CONTENT AND INCORPORATING IT INTO YOUR LIVED EXPERIENCE IN WAYS THAT YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY BE AWARE OF?

I OFTEN CONSIDER HOW THE CONTENT I HAVE INTERACTED WITH MOST RECENTLY IS, AGAINST MY OWN DESIRES, TAKING UP A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MY BRAIN POWER. WHETHER I WOULD LIKE TO CARRY THE BAGGAGE OF THAT CONTENT INTO WHATEVER IT IS I AM DOING FOR THE REST OF THE DAY IS OUT OF MY CONTROL.

THE LONGER I PARTICIPATE IN THIS ROULETTE OF CONTENT, THE MORE I GROW ACCUSTOMED TO THE FEELING OF MY BRAIN BEING HELD CAPTIVE BY IDEAS THAT ARE NOT MY OWN. I BECOME LESS AWARE OF INTRUDING THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.

HOW DO I KNOW WHERE THAT JOY HAS COME FROM WHEN I HAVE CONSUMED 200 VIDEOS JUST TODAY? HOW ABOUT THAT ANGER? THAT SADNESS? THAT RAGE? HOW CAN I TRACE ANYTHING I THINK OR FEEL BACK TO A SPECIFIC INSTANT WHEN I HAVE SPENT THE DAY DOUSING MY BRAIN WITH HIGHLY SENSATIONAL INFORMATION?

AS IF IT WERE NOT DIFFICULT ENOUGH TO PARSE YOUR INDIVIDUAL CONTENT INTERACTIONS, EVERYONE AROUND YOU IS ALSO PLAYING THAT GAME OF ROULETTE. EVERY PERSON YOU RUB UP AGAINST, NO MATTER HOW SIGNIFICANTLY OR CASUALLY, IS LIKEWISE OPERATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF UNMANAGEABLE AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION.

CONSIDER THE MOUNTAIN OF UNPROCESSED INFORMATION CLOGGING UP YOUR BRAIN. CONSIDER THAT EVERYONE AROUND YOU HAS GOT THEIR OWN UNIQUE MOUNTAIN TO ADDRESS. CONSIDER THAT WE ARE TRYING TO MANAGE OUR INTERACTIONS WITH ONE ANOTHER ALL WHILE STANDING BEHIND OUR OWN INDIVIDUAL MOUNTAINS.

CONSIDER THE AMOUNT OF SPACE THAT STANDS BETWEEN US AND THE WAY IT MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE OTHER IS GETTING AT, WHERE THEY ARE COMING FROM, OR WHAT IS INFLUENCING THEIR ACTIONS.

I HAVE OFTEN SAID THAT YOU DO NOT REALLY KNOW SOMEONE UNTIL YOU HAVE LOOKED THROUGH THEIR YOUTUBE RECOMMENDATIONS. OF COURSE, THIS EXPANDS ACROSS MEDIA PLATFORMS. BUT THE FACT REMAINS: I WILL NEVER KNOW YOU UNTIL I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE PUTTING INTO YOUR BRAIN ON A DAILY BASIS.

BUT I CAN NEVER KNOW. THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME IN MY DAY OR YOURS TO SURVEY THOSE HOURS UPON HOURS UPON HOURS OF CONTENT.

SOMETIMES CONSCIOUSLY, MORE OFTEN UNCONSCIOUSLY, THIS INFORMATION SETTLES INTO OUR BRAINS AND WE GO ABOUT OUR LIVES. SILENTLY THESE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ARE INCORPORATED INTO OUR OWN WORLDS.

IT IS VITAL THAT WE BEGIN TO CONSIDER HOW WE AS INDIVIDUALS INTERACT WITH MEDIA, HOW THE PEOPLE AROUND US INTERACT WITH MEDIA, HOW OUR MEDIA INTERACTIONS INFLUENCE OUR BEHAVIORS, THE INFLUENCE UNDER WHICH CREATORS PRODUCE MEDIA, AS WELL AS THE INTENTIONS OF THE CREATOR PLACING MEDIA IN FRONT OF YOU.

AS A CONSUMER OF MEDIA, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU CONSIDER WHAT CONTENT SITS AT THE FRONT OF THE BRAIN OF THE CONTENT CREATOR. IN THE SAME WAY THAT LITERARY SCHOLARS SPEND THEIR LIVES OBTAINING THE CONTEXT OF A WRITTEN TEXT, AS USERS OF THE WEB WE MUST GATHER THE CONTEXT OF THE POSTS WE ENGAGE WITH.

WHO IS POSTING? WHAT IS THEIR OBJECTIVE? WHAT IS THEIR AGENDA? WHAT MIGHT BE POKING AT THE CORNERS OF THEIR MIND TO FUEL WHAT THEY HAVE SAID HERE?

CONTEXT IS IMPORTANT. IN OUR SOCIETY, CONTENT IS A VITAL PIECE OF CONTEXT.