Hi, friends! Long time, no see. A few weeks ago, I got a sudden “ick” and became repulsed by the entire social internet. After chatting with some friends about it, I realized that I was put off by the conformity and lack of creativity that my algorithm served. At the time, it felt like the entire Internet ecosystem consisted of 12 people creating original content and 45785436887 others doing reaction videos/podcasts and discourse about it. Bleh! (Note: I don’t have any social media accounts, so I’m really only talking about YouTube.)

This, of course, made me wonder why no one seems to have an original thought these days. Is it brain rot? Poor education? Attention-seeking? Maybe these things all play a role. But, the more I think about it, the more a larger culprit comes to mind. That’s right, everyone. Today, we’re talking about capitalism and the death of creativity.

When YouTube first started, most people posted for fun or as a creative outlet. Now, if you ask someone why they post on YouTube,  monetization or the promise of future monetization is a top reason. I’m not an art purist — if someone wants to be paid for their creative output, I fully support the dream. But creating for the sake of money alone seems quite sad to me. 

Ardent defenders of the so-called “free market” often cite innovation and progress as benefits of capitalism. Without unlimited riches as an incentive, why would anyone ever invent anything? This argument runs counter to everything we know about human development and thriving. While a certain level of constraint can lead to creative problem-solving, people are most creative when their basic needs are met. Safe, stable environments foster creativity and playfulness.

With late-stage capitalism specifically, imagine all the creative thoughts people may have and pursue if they weren’t constantly hustling to meet their basic needs?! The commercialization of higher education has led to a crisis of humanities departments across the country shutting down. With the rising costs of college, people study certain subjects solely to secure a lucrative job after graduation and get a high ROI instead of expanding their knowledge or following their curiosity.

The lack of a social safety net also means that the average person can’t afford to take creative risks. Unless you’re a nepo baby, setbacks — instead of simply being opportunities for learning and growth — can lead to financial ruin. Not to mention the sheer amount of energy the average job requires! Forty hours of work a week, excluding commutes and overtime. When you’re spending all your time just grinding to survive, it’s hard to have the energy for creation. This applies tenfold for my fellow low-energy, chronically ill girlies.

I like to think of myself as above the fray, and oftentimes I am. But I’ve recently caught myself quantifying some of my goals and realized that I only wanted some things because I thought they would bring financial stability — not because I’m actually interested in them. Of course, we live in a #society, and all of us have to do things we don’t want to survive. But I try my best not to get caught up in meaningless goal-setting and actually follow my curiosity down whichever creative paths it leads me to. I hope you can do the same.

Although I tend to be very *old man yells at cloud* in this newsletter, I try to end each essay with a glimmer of positivity. If you’ve walked into a preschool classroom or had a conversation with a child lately, you’ll know that the youth are still teeming with ideas. In the sea of AI slop, great novels are still being written. There’s a growing movement of Luddite teens who reject social media obsession in favor of real-life connections. All hope is not lost. The kids are alright — kinda. 

Yours in creativity, 

Mina