Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Ep. 295: Artists Revolt Against Social Media

Mon Apr 08 2024

Social MediaSlow ProductivityReading RitualsDigital MinimalismPodcast Updates

Description

The podcast discusses the rising revolt against social media led by artists, questioning its potential success and relevance to non-artists. It covers technology's impact on work, promotion, success, and depth, with a focus on slow productivity. The episode explores the role of reading rituals and digital minimalism in enhancing productivity and well-being. Updates and plans for the podcast hosts' deep questions store and studio upgrades are also discussed.

Insights

Artists are leaving social media

Artists are participating in a quiet revolt against social media, expressing frustration with its demands and limitations. Reasons for artists leaving social media include feeling controlled by algorithms, addiction to social validation, and a shift away from the original purpose of creating art.

The distributed trust model on the internet

The distributed trust model allows for serendipitous and diverse information spread, with community standards implicitly enforced. Creators in the distributed trust model attract direct connections as their content spreads, forming a cluster of shared connections. The distributed trust model on the internet relies on human curation decisions and fosters a more personal and authentic experience for both creators and consumers.

Reading rituals and digital minimalism

Reading rituals can enhance the experience of encountering big ideas and should be done in non-instrumental settings. Implementing digital minimalism can lead to significant positive changes such as increased reading, exercise, sleep, reduced screen time, and improved attention span.

Updates and plans

The podcast hosts plan to use Shopify for their deep questions store, starting with tens of orders and scaling up to a million orders. The host discusses upgrades to his studio, including a teleprompter and microphone for remote interviews, as well as improvements to the makerspace area for 3D printing projects.

Chapters

The Rising Revolt Against Social Media
The Impact of Slow Productivity and Deep Work
The Role of Reading Rituals and Digital Minimalism
Updates and Plans

Summary

Transcript

The Rising Revolt Against Social Media

00:11 - 34:09

Artists are participating in a quiet revolt against social media, expressing frustration with its demands and limitations.
Reasons for artists leaving social media include feeling controlled by algorithms, addiction to social validation, and a shift away from the original purpose of creating art.
The fundamental problem of the internet is how people find other people or things to talk to.
Web 2.0 revolution lowered barriers for posting content online, leading to algorithmic models dominating creative discovery.
Algorithmic model simplifies content consumption but can have a constricting effect on artists.
Consumers experience a sense of excitement and unpredictability in encountering content through algorithmic platforms.
Algorithmic platforms create a simulacrum of audience engagement for content creators, even though the actual reach may be limited.
The distributed trust model, where content is independently produced and shared without centralized curation, fosters genuine human connections and high-quality curation.
Information spreads through individual trust-based links in the distributed trust model, leading to serendipitous discovery and curated content.
The distributed trust model allows for serendipitous and diverse information spread, with community standards implicitly enforced.
Creators in the distributed trust model attract direct connections as their content spreads, forming a cluster of shared connections.
The distributed trust model on the internet relies on human curation decisions and fosters a more personal and authentic experience for both creators and consumers.
Success in the distributed trust model requires producing original and engaging content consistently, without attention manipulation like in algorithm-driven platforms.
Consuming content in the distributed trust model involves more effort but offers better quality information compared to instant gratification platforms like TikTok.
Transitioning from social media to independently produced content on the internet can lead to a more sustainable creative career in the distributed trust model.

The Impact of Slow Productivity and Deep Work

00:11 - 34:09

The podcast discusses the rising revolt against social media led by artists, questioning its potential success and relevance to non-artists.
The episode covers technology's impact on work, promotion, success, and depth, with a focus on slow productivity.
There is a segment called 'Is this decision deep or crazy?' where decisions are evaluated.
The host provides updates on the success of his book 'slow productivity', including being listed as the number four best selling business book in March.
The host shares ideas about his next book titled 'The Deep Life', considering using computer science metaphors to engineer a better life and reclaiming the internet for positivity.
Artists are leaving social media due to the focus on social validation and appeasing crowds.
Google solved the problem of finding specific information, but serendipitous discovery remained a challenge.
Consumers experience a sense of excitement and unpredictability in encountering content through algorithmic platforms.
Algorithmic platforms create a simulacrum of audience engagement for content creators, even though the actual reach may be limited.
The distributed trust model allows for serendipitous and diverse information spread, with community standards implicitly enforced.
Creators in the distributed trust model attract direct connections as their content spreads, forming a cluster of shared connections.
The distributed trust model on the internet relies on human curation decisions and fosters a more personal and authentic experience for both creators and consumers.
Success in the distributed trust model requires producing original and engaging content consistently, without attention manipulation like in algorithm-driven platforms.
Consuming content in the distributed trust model involves more effort but offers better quality information compared to instant gratification platforms like TikTok.
Transitioning from social media to independently produced content on the internet can lead to a more sustainable creative career in the distributed trust model.

The Role of Reading Rituals and Digital Minimalism

00:11 - 1:18:23

Daily disciplines should be important but not consume your entire day, allowing for variety and adventure.
It's okay to take days off from your routine and introduce more variety into your life.
Digital tools like LinkedIn should earn their place in your life by providing clear value; it's fine to walk away if they don't.
LinkedIn has evolved from a business networking platform to a more social media-oriented space where individuals promote themselves through posts and articles.
Reading online articles can be integrated into your routine by setting aside specific times and rituals for article reading, using tools like the Pocket app or printing articles.
The value of reading articles lies in encountering interesting ideas, not in reading every single article.
Reading some interesting stuff each week is a win, even if you don't read everything.
Having specific aesthetic choices for a book, such as font and design, can enhance the overall experience for the reader.
Collecting everything interesting in one place and having regular reading rituals can help manage a large volume of content effectively.
Reading rituals can enhance the experience of encountering big ideas and should be done in non-instrumental settings.
Location plays a significant role in the reading experience, with specific spots like the banks of the Charles River being memorable for reading.
Cell phone-free environments like 'the tombs' bar can help eliminate distractions and enhance focus during reading sessions.
Slow productivity emphasizes obsessing over quality to bring different aspects together, leading to natural progress in other areas.
Identifying tasks that one can do well and that produce clear value for an organization is crucial for effective productivity.
Choosing a skill to focus on and improving at it is key to gaining control and leverage over your job.
Slow productivity principles involve working on fewer things, having a natural pace, and taking longer on important tasks.
Focusing on craft and doing something valuable, even if others can do it, leads to steady progress and improvements in various aspects of life.
Implementing digital minimalism can lead to significant positive changes such as increased reading, exercise, sleep, reduced screen time, and improved attention span.
Tracking progress quantitatively can provide insights into the benefits of being intentional about technology use.

Updates and Plans

1:11:30 - 1:23:38

The podcast hosts plan to use Shopify for their deep questions store, starting with tens of orders and scaling up to a million orders.
MyBodyTutor offers online coaching programs focused on health and fitness consistency, providing personalized plans and daily check-ins.
The host discusses upgrades to his studio, including a teleprompter and microphone for remote interviews, as well as improvements to the makerspace area for 3D printing projects.
The speaker is excited about setting up a powerful computer system for video editing and 3D design in their maker lab.
They discuss the benefits of staying in their current studio instead of moving to a more expensive one.
The speaker plans to replace a fridge with a Street Fighter video game cabinet in the maker lab, aiming for quick gaming sessions as a break from work.
They consider options for the video game cabinet, preferring a new one with modern features over vintage ones due to size and maintenance concerns.