Working in the profession of marketing, I get more inquiries on content creation. Writing this blog right now is the very definition of creating content. I’m not going to lie. We make a lot. Almost too much. That’s why you probably only read some of my stuff every now and then. Let’s not get it confused. I do love the Information Age. I love that we have access to all the teachers and entertainment we could ask for, and I just don’t think it’s used very efficiently. With the popularity of Clubhouse, I only see it getting worse.

Everyone’s an Expert

The problem with giving everyone equal footing to post and eliminating the barriers to entry is that it makes everyone a guru. As humans, we are definitely opinionated. We’re don’t hesitate to give advice. This also comes with the awareness that we aren’t experts in any particular field. When you read my posts, I hope you don’t think I’m an expert. Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not. I’m just a person writing down what I learn for myself.

In our Information Age, any one can say they are a guru when their content is recycled advice mixed in with their own charisma. A lot of it is very short-term and shallow. How much advice can you put in an Instagram post? A lot of these gurus don’t really have to prove that they have the experience to give such advice. It’s that easy.

Low Quality Content at High Quantity

Millions of pieces of content get posted onto the Internet every second. It’s way too much to consume. There’s a sea of noise. The brilliant way to combat this flood of content so that people can see yours is… you guessed it, make more content. Typically when it comes to a focus on just pushing content out, quality suffers. This is why I don’t subscribe to Gary V. The onion of putting content out for no reason isn’t something I’m about. The amount of content he puts out is just as shallow as others looking to drop knowledge. That’s no disrespect to Gary. I just don’t agree with his message.

There’s a very sad notion that in order to stay relevant, you must post, you must have a video, you must get your eyeballs on the brand. As if you didn’t post something tomorrow, they would totally forget about you. Instead of creating high quality, high impact material, they resort to creating the same thing, but a little different. Most of it is something people scroll pass. I’m certainly one of them.

Too Much Reading, Not Enough Application

Another person that I admire as a person, but I don’t care too much for his content is Jim Kwik. He trained his brain after a dramatic head injury which is definitely noble. I respect anyone who is willing to do what others deem as impossible. However, the negative impact of teaching people how to read faster is people reading only for the sake of reading. Reading more just because they have the brain power to do it, but not comprehending or applying what’s been read. When people brag about how many books they’ve read in a month, I can’t relate. It doesn’t help to read 10 self help books in a week and see no progression in life.

What to Do Instead

I have a bad habit of being negative, without saying the point that I’m a fan of content. Being able to get information at my fingertip is a wonderful thing. With everything, consuming content should be done in moderation. My advice is to consume content with intent. Don’t mindlessly scroll, or read things that don’t directly affect you. Be selective. Every advice isn’t good advice. Yes, that includes this post.