"There's an internal spark when we discover something on our own, without the input of algorithms, and it creates a bridge to something we've enjoyed or appreciated in the past."
This really struck a chord with me as something I've felt for a long time but never seen articulated. There is something magical about discovering something on your own. There also seems to be a natural yearning to share the magic of this discovery with others.
I had never considered the nature of the discovery of content to be that important but I think you're onto something. It makes me think about the difference between browsing the "old" internet and the "new". The conscious act of navigating a trail of hyperlinks left by users in reddit threads and forums vs the unconscious consumption via suggestion algorithms on TikTok and YouTube.
The process feels like finding an easter egg put in place specifically for our own life. These serendipitous discoveries heighten the sense of meaning, and make the desire to share them with others even greater (even though that spark might be lacking for someone else). Then it takes tact to share something your excited about, without being overly pushing--a hard lesson in my life.
Another potential problem with the "new" internet is just the sheer volume/quantity of things thrown our way. They might all be legitimately exciting/interesting, but at least for me, they tend to lose their significance among the sea of everything else. Serendipitous discovery feels like a more manageable amount of content to engage with.
The physical newspaper?
It doesn’t refresh at 3:12 PM to favour your bias.
It sits there—same headlines for everyone, same surprises.
It’s the last place where discovery isn’t driven by data, but by chance.
That’s why it still matters.
Because sometimes, the news you didn’t search for is the news you most needed to see.
"There's an internal spark when we discover something on our own, without the input of algorithms, and it creates a bridge to something we've enjoyed or appreciated in the past."
This really struck a chord with me as something I've felt for a long time but never seen articulated. There is something magical about discovering something on your own. There also seems to be a natural yearning to share the magic of this discovery with others.
I had never considered the nature of the discovery of content to be that important but I think you're onto something. It makes me think about the difference between browsing the "old" internet and the "new". The conscious act of navigating a trail of hyperlinks left by users in reddit threads and forums vs the unconscious consumption via suggestion algorithms on TikTok and YouTube.
The process feels like finding an easter egg put in place specifically for our own life. These serendipitous discoveries heighten the sense of meaning, and make the desire to share them with others even greater (even though that spark might be lacking for someone else). Then it takes tact to share something your excited about, without being overly pushing--a hard lesson in my life.
Another potential problem with the "new" internet is just the sheer volume/quantity of things thrown our way. They might all be legitimately exciting/interesting, but at least for me, they tend to lose their significance among the sea of everything else. Serendipitous discovery feels like a more manageable amount of content to engage with.