"For anyone who grew up in a time when accessing a movie or an album or a book required some kind of effort, the age of instant digital access can seem like a minor miracle-at least, when you stop to think about it, which the algorithmic ecosystem is increasingly designed to discourage. In Liz Pelly's book Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist, a former Spotify editor says that one of the company's goals is"
"a goal that, Pelly writes, has produced "a deluge of frictionless music: an ease of use that, in turn, facilitated easy listening." You don't have to think about what you're listening to, even while you're listening to it. It's the musical equivalent of Erica Jong's " zipless fuck," a mutually satisfying arrangement that requires no commitment in advance and demands no attachment after the fact."
"Movies and TV don't fade into the background quite as easily as music does, but Netflix prides itself on making viewing as zipless as possible. A show like The Diplomat solicits your attention in fits and starts; you can tune in for the big moments, tune out for the rest, and never feel like you've missed a thing. The only thing you can't do is stop."
Algorithmic recommendation systems and platform design prioritize reducing friction and cognitive effort in content selection. Streaming services generate vast catalogs and curated playlists that enable effortless, passive listening. Autoplay features on video platforms minimize gaps between content, encouraging continuous, half-engaged viewing and discouraging moments of reflection. Casual consumption aligns with light entertainment but clashes with works that require sustained attention and critical thought. Documentary films that interrogate complex social or legal issues confront diminished impact when platform mechanics favor uninterrupted, low-effort consumption over pauses that invite viewers to stop, process, and respond.
Read at Slate Magazine
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]