There is a lot of noise everywhere, which makes it hard to think and work deeply. The sound of cars, people talking, sirens, loud music, etc. These factors are sometimes out of our control, and in some cases, it's simply the cost of living in a big city or town. To find quiet spaces, one must sometimes go to inconvenient lengths.
However, I am more interested in the noise that evades our digital and online spaces. In the 47th episode of Hinted Neuron, I touched on social media and attention. It's a topic I think about constantly. I worry about how increasingly hard it has become to curate an online experience for myself. One that isn’t distracting and time-consuming. I would like to follow thinkers, creators, and writers I love. But I always end up with a bunch of random things recommended to me. Mainstream social platforms incentivize spam and noise. This is why some online creators and writers are constantly trying to put out as much as they can, without thoughtful consideration. If they take time off to invest in more thoughtful work, the "algorithm" forgets them.
As someone who has an itch to make and create things, I spend a good chunk of time in one spot trying to give my ideas form. This is hard to do depending on the type of noise I encounter. I curate my workspace to reduce visual, auditory, and mental noise. From the devices on my desk to the lighting I use in my room. I deleted my Twitter account and mostly never leave the Instagram app on my phone for more than 24 hours. This type of aggressive reduction has been a good catalyst for focused work.
What I envision for good digital spaces are ones that allow users to curate their experience and are not entirely run by algorithms. Creators should also strive to widen the signal-noise gap. I make online content in the form of written words and podcasts. I try to think about the "value" of what I put out and hope that I'm not adding to the pollution. I have fallen victim to putting out episodes of things I don't even enjoy, all in a bid to stay consistent. I have realized it is better to remain quiet when I have nothing of value to say. When I think something is worth sharing, I ask myself to whom and why. This is another reason I created my digital garden for musings and personal curation. It enables me to share things without necessarily spamming the people who subscribe to this blog.
What I make is a reflection of myself. I try to live a quieter life and create things with high signal levels. If you’re the sort of person who creates or consumes things, I invite you to consider ways to reduce noise in the things you make or for yourself.
Powered by Froala Editor