Someone figured out that with a bit of makeup, good backlighting, and a carefully crafted script, they could attract followers and carve out their space on the internet. In my 25-year corporate career, I’ve never seen so many self-proclaimed “CEOs” and experts in niches no one had ever thought to explore before. A smartphone, once nonexistent, now suffices for someone to churn out slogans reminiscent of the dawn of mass advertising: “5 things you must stop doing,” “5 things you need to start doing,” or “I have 3 tips to change your life, the last one’s the best.” These calls, once the reserve of classic advertising campaigns in a more analog, globalized world, now flood a landscape ruled by algorithms and instant gratification.
In underdeveloped countries, where capital is starkly divided, leaving many impoverished, it’s understandable why this entrepreneurial trend flourishes. Instead of enduring the grueling, often unfair fight for a first job with meager pay, it’s no surprise many opt to try their luck on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. The severe social stratification and immoral income distribution of these nations provide fertile ground for such phenomena. There will always be someone ready to hire these self-styled experts, who meld video editing with age-old advertising tricks to scrape together a living.
What bothers me most is the rise of videos that begin with, “How old were you when you discovered this?” only to segue into some trivial revelation designed solely to captivate the viewer. From a certain perspective, I recognize echoes of models like AIDA and the teachings of Maslow, Elmo Lewis, Kotler, Skinner, the indispensable Kahneman, along with Ogilvy, Cialdini, Martin Lindstrom, and many others who might agree that something feels amiss.
You can’t declare yourself an investment expert at 22 with only $50 invested. You can’t be a specialist in human behavior without extensive study, observation, and ethnographic practice. And you certainly can’t claim to be a psychologist offering solutions just a week after graduating. Or can you?
Here lies my concern: what are these individuals truly contributing to society, with their biases and scant empirical knowledge? I recently watched a “music teacher” grossly misexplain harmony, yet they boasted over 200,000 followers!
As this new generation born in the 2000s steps into the shoes of today’s 40- and 50-year-olds, what will be the outcome? Were Harari’s measured projections accurate? Are we, as a society, prioritizing convenience and easy profits over moral and ethical values?
I’m not shocked that this generation is the first in recorded history to exhibit a lower intellectual capacity than its predecessors. I often ponder if Chris Anderson fully appreciated the implications of his insights in “The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More.” I also wonder what my mother and grandfather would think of all this.
Until society receives what it genuinely needs—without allowing trends to overshadow fundamental necessities—our collective behavior will remain erratic. Every person for themselves, disregarding the beauty of community and solidarity.
People should help each other! Influencers on TikTok have immense visibility and could convey meaningful messages—yet, they chase clicks and views, driven by algorithms that monitor our every move. The world needs genuine human interaction. However, the smartphone is redefining humanity, reducing it to a mere tech-driven framework. Isn’t it odd when someone says, “I’m out of battery,” referring to their phone? It’s not you who’s out of battery; it’s your device.
Thus, I choose books. Conversations. Rich coffees shared with good people. I choose bossa nova and friends. But likely, my generation and I will be the last to live this way. I worry for my daughter. To what extent will she be drawn into this unproductive, superficial cycle?
Yet, I cling to hope. Amidst this confusion, I believe humanity will rediscover its depth, its connections, and its purpose. It must—for her sake, for all our sakes.
LF