Celebrating Chaos

YouTube’s Ambulance Chasers

With social media algorithms seemingly rewarding negative content, there has been a growing phenomenon in which content creators on the inter-webs monetise misery. Creating content off the dread and suffering of others. However, software programming isn’t entirely to blame. Many internauters willingly choose to spend their time browsing through disturbing and bizarre content on social media empowering the algorithms’ negative feedback loop. Anytime something negative happens, channel after channel spew forth videos poisoning the discourse with talks of an impending crisis. If anything remotely considered to be offensive to one subgroup or the other happens in a corporation, a constant stream of criticism flows but hardly ever any useful critique. Once informative channels have turned into tabloids. Thumbnails with authoritative proclamations have become all the rage. Sandwich men on the sidewalk holding up ‘the end is nigh’ placards. Freshly baked content about our stars, companies, even other content creators generously meted out from many a storefront. Of course, this is neither from the heavens nor from Venus but birthed from the seedy underworld of internet gossip and speculation.

Freshly baked content about our stars, companies, even other content creators generously meted out from many a storefront.

Mired in its many controversies, the video game industry has been a boon to the creator economy. Misery merchants line up their wares peddling the same slop. No unique takes or in-depth critique. A quick breeze through the highlights already littering the internet mixed in with the usual morality lesson. Business is good as evidenced by the never ceasing foot traffic. Comment sections to many a video filled with affirmations of said content. With the culture of unaccountability that has taken hold of many corporations stock is never in short supply. Hardly a day goes by without there being some kerfuffle at one company or the other or with its employees. In days gone, did the tabloids speak truth to power or were their sensationalistic proclamations simply shunned aside as idle gossip regardless of the truth contained therein? Doubtless they spoke to the masses, however, did they really speak to power? Were the proclamations in the tabloids more weighty than the falsehoods in the New York Times or were they simply the cocaine meant to numb the pain from the wounds and injuries caused by the latter?

With the prevalence of cameras on almost every street corner and in our pockets, there has been an overabundance of video clips taken at unfortunate moments. These used to be helpful in investigations as authorities and the general public sought answers on tragedies and attempted to find ways to avoid similar events in future. Now death, bodily harm and injury have become the mainstay of some YouTube channels. The Grim Reaper couldn’t have hoped for better salesmen. Morticians in the making embalming the internet with macabre content. To be clear, this content is hardly ever graphic in nature as this would infringe on many a community guideline. However, regularly communing with death is to invite him into one’s midst. He is there in spirit. The passing shadow ever encroaching on the light from the dark corners of the house being built. With such grimness so easily and readily available why would one ever venture to the Dark Web? After all, there are plenty of appetisers from many storefronts out in the high streets. Dark Alleys be damned.

Perpetually pouring out the libations of discord and strife on the altar of these grim misadventures may end up summoning Eris.

Human nature tends to be drawn to negativity. To quote the Good Book, “men love darkness.” Rather than gorging ourselves on that which is resplendent on the internet perhaps our time may be better spent consuming that which is constructive. Building rather than tearing down. Criticism and critique are definitely needed but in reasonable measure. In celebrating chaos we may inadvertently give nefarious others the means or rather impetus for curating it. Perpetually pouring out the libations of discord and strife on the altar of these grim misadventures may end up summoning Eris. Those who chase after ambulances aren’t interested in the wellbeing of those therein. Often, they are looking out for their own interests. Initially this may be a win-win but eventually we all lose.

Images in order of appearance: Image par VintageSnipsAndClips de Pixabay; Image par VintageSnipsAndClips de Pixabay.