I've commented before on a term I thought of a while back which is ‘Authenticity is the new Currency’. But upon further reflection as I look at Social Media, world events, gaming and AI I have thought of at least 2 other currencies I believe will be very important for the near and distant future. If we can thoughtfully navigate and execute these we have a better chance of prospering for ALL living on Earth.
Authenticity -Currency #1
I will tell you if I use AI where words are not mine, hence I will strive to be authentic with you. With that being said let’s define this using ChatGPTs definition:
Authenticity refers to being genuine, real, and true to oneself. It involves aligning one's actions, words, and beliefs with one's inner values and principles. Authenticity entails being honest and transparent in interactions with others, without pretense or fa?ade. It's about being comfortable with who you are and embracing your uniqueness rather than trying to conform to societal expectations or norms. Authenticity fosters deeper connections with others, as people are more likely to trust and respect those who are authentic. It's a quality that can bring about fulfillment and satisfaction in life, as it allows individuals to live in accordance with their true selves.
Several areas will benefit from valuing authenticity including art and social media. Why? Let’s bullet these out:
- A Problem: Social media is devolving into bots that cannot be distinguished due to certain platforms allowing and encouraging anonymity i.e., YouTube, with user names becoming more and more cryptic. It is also disintegrating discourse, the driving attraction behind social media is …well human discussion and interaction. However, users look to the top comments only to hope to get more likes in their replies or users seek to become OPs (original posters) creating a new thread but with content that they template from others or comments not really of their own but rather anticipating what the mainstream may thumbs up and reply. This makes users feel accomplished or good to be accepted and recognized…but this is a fake sense of all those. It is fleeting, as superficial copied content becomes disposable, much like how the music industry had quickly headed into the past decade.
- A Solution: If we put authenticity at the forefront of our efforts we can counter spam, bots, humans taking advantage of the algos not to the benefit of anyone but themselves and more. But how? If we experiment with human discourse online we can find that authenticated humans i.e., with real names or some near that, we get a more transparent and authentic interaction that is more of substance of value. Regardless if it was positive or negative the point is that we need it to be real. Another benefit and focus is trustworthiness users have in said platforms. For example a real issue YouTube and Instagram are facing from my own testing is that their algos are ghosting people which has very harmful effects. Meaning ghosting is when your voice i.e., comment, reply etc. is being deleted or hidden publicly but YOU the poster are not aware of it because the platforms do not notify you nor make it clear your comment was hidden. This breach of trust (and for no good reason I should add) discourages users from interacting with others. This skews discourse, it now teaches users to be sneaky and change their behavior in order to be heard which may not be their authentic voice because they are more concerned with how to get their voice across. This even happens in Reddit whereas in order to join or post in certain communities you need to have karma points meaning people must like what you post or reply to. A good idea in principle and I would argue that as long as Reddit keeps the rules transparent then people are smart enough to vote each other on or off topics. And that is my point, YouTube and Instagram must allow all discourse and not filter based on their own criteria. Of course illegal speech would not be allowed but the lines have clearly crossed into for profit motives which conflict with authenticity. In other words, if we think long game, fostering an authentic environment will actually create a more productive society that is resistant to words and thus able to punch through the communication barriers, because through conflict we become better. We do not become better if we live in our own realities, in our own delusions, in our echo chambers so that we have a false sense of safety based on our more negative human traits i.e., fear, insecurity, greed, selfishness etc.?
So how does AI come into play?
- As you can imagine AI is interwoven with our daily lives and it sure as heck runs the social media platforms already with hopefully human intervention still. But make no mistake, WE, humans tell AI what to do and if we don’t know what AI is doing in the background which is true, it still feeds however off the information that WE give it. So that is all to say that AI should be used from an objective unbiased super helper that helps us be better. But social media leveraging AI is somehow bringing the worst out of people. So ChatGPT = good, YouTube or Instagram etc. AI = not so good. Take what makes ChatGPT authentic (and fair as well as helpful) and leverage those responses and behavior molding models to fix the social media platforms, but if humans are talking to each other then there is no reason for AI driven algos to have so much power in controlling discourse and visibility of comments and images. AI should not be controlling OUR behavior…WE determine how AI can help us but it is in our hands to have faith within ourselves to sort out the problems out in the open.?
- Regarding areas where human behavior is very much a factor i.e.Art, music, stock predictions etc. What AI can’t replicate is the uniqueness and authenticity of every individual on the planet. It can certainly come close but the sum of lived experience and our consciousness are the line in the sand where we must separate what AI does and what humans do on their own. We must separate because it is reality today, until AI gains its own sentience therefore becoming another living being on the planet we will cross that bridge then. But until then we must respect what AI does and what humans do, that means do not pass off work of AI as that of a human because they are not the same. Again this now comes full circle to authenticity. Knowing, KNOWING am I talking to a robot or a human? Am I looking at a game made by a human or a robot? It might become harder and harder to distinguish but it will only be that case if humans leverage AI for selfish and misleading purposes. That is happening today, as we speak, everywhere and people do not know what is real and what is not. Especially since even without AI now people have resorted for some reason to create scenarios and fake real life occurrences and events as if they were real and spontaneous. This is not helping…and it’s not authentic. So let’s look deep at what works and doesn’t and think long term here…we don’t have to rush, life is still good today for many.
Time -Currency #2
Time is a currency that I believe is becoming more important than before. That is because our exponential rate of consuming data and potentially executing upon that leaves us with less time. Because we have information overload today, that’s not a bad thing, but it’s a dramatic shift in what we experienced as early as the 90s and early 2000s. To sum it up: too much to do, to learn, to enjoy in not so much time.
- A Problem: as stated above, the oversaturation of content but without a productive and efficient method to filter through for the user is allowing platforms own capability to feed the user content to have much of the power. In other words mainstream society is on a rollercoaster of information and entertainment content feeds that are on autopilot hence making us, society, go on autopilot. Example: we see many young users instead of playing video games, they rather watch someone else play. We see older users addicted to their phones going on endless scrolls viewing 1 minute shorts that are training us to have a shorter attention span. Most importantly, or should I say most sadly, we are wasting time scrolling through feeds. Even if platforms now are trying to correct what they did, by now prompting users more on their feed preferences, the problem is prevalent.
- A Solution: luckily I will take more information and resources and deal with the challenge of time management than not. But that’s the thing, we need to think about time management. Let’s look at the gaming industry (I’m a pc gaming enthusiast), I predict that games that have historically been known as ‘time-sinks’ i.e., World of Warcraft, Diablo, Eve Online, Runescape etc. will have to offer more to users, and this will dovetail with the next and last currency. This offering will need to reward them more for their time, in other words we must now value time at a HIGHER currency rate. Much like inflation, it’s time we start valuing time more. But social media is doing the opposite. Since we’re on the solution I won’t harp on the social media negative more but you get my point. The solution my friends, in general, is to focus on value-add content for ourselves and when we need to relax we focus on the best type of content that is just for entertainment. That’s confusing, ok, what’s the best type you ask? Well there’s A LOT of entertainment out there, let’s go to our Shorts feed on for example YouTube or Instagram, you are scrolling just trying to relax, well those feeds can be better. That’s all, and you know what, relaxing can also be a more brain engaging activity but I fear that our tiredness (coming from somewhere not sure) and that our lack of motivation caused by these information overflows are tricking us into thinking we can’t do anything more effort intensive but in reality we can. See all these variables are cumulative, all the world factors today are weighing on our behaviors and outcomes. The fact of the matter is that we can spend time better and that is up to us. AI can facilitate this easily, by helping us learn, focus and FIND what we want quicker. With all the technology in the world we are at a turning point, do we descend in a convolution of negative side effects of our advancements or do we put aside our own selfish needs and profits to help the next person out, our neighbor out, we must cast aside a tribal mentality because we do not live in that world anymore yet we have become more reclusive unless for the ones who have put energy to find communities. Last point, and that reminds me, the advantage we have with the internet and social media is that we have access to create and interact with communities which are far more healthy than the wild west on the rest of the net. Again however we run into the problem of time, how much time do we spend engaging in these communities? Do we have time for it all? We don’t, so let me revise my solution statement…we need to fix how WE can raise our energy and motivation and then manage and organize ourselves to find a healthy middle with relaxing vs. productivity.?
Accomplishment and/or Sense of -Currency #3
Accomplishment…let me define this with ChatGPT as I’m getting tired myself here…but we’re on the home stretch…AND I should say the following dovetails nicely into my prior paragraph about time which I acknowledge is a train wreck but I can’t proofread it right now ;p?
A sense of accomplishment is the emotional satisfaction and fulfillment that one experiences upon successfully achieving a goal or completing a task. This feeling is often accompanied by a sense of pride, self-worth, and fulfillment. It serves as a powerful motivator, encouraging individuals to continue pursuing their goals and aspirations.
The feeling of accomplishment is highly beneficial and helpful for humans in several ways:
- Motivation: Accomplishing goals provides a sense of purpose and direction, motivating individuals to strive for further success and personal growth.
- Self-esteem: Successes contribute to a positive self-image and boost self-confidence, reinforcing the belief in one's abilities and potential.
- Happiness and Well-being: The satisfaction derived from accomplishments contributes to overall happiness and psychological well-being, fostering a sense of fulfillment and contentment.
- Resilience: Experiencing accomplishments helps individuals build resilience by demonstrating their ability to overcome challenges and adversity.
- Goal-setting: The sense of accomplishment encourages individuals to set and pursue new goals, promoting continuous learning and development.
Overall, the feeling of accomplishment plays a crucial role in enhancing individuals' motivation, self-esteem, and overall quality of life, making it a valuable aspect of human experience.
OK, so with that being said, accomplishment is a HUGE currency, which to the delight of companies I can say YOU can profit off of, and I’m ok with that. Let me explain. If accomplishment or sense gives motivation to an individual, then if you produce a product that gives this to a user then they will keep coming back.?
Now let me be clear, accomplishment is NOT spending 6 hours mining in a game, sure, you get something out of it, but remember we raised our Time currency because it is more valuable today. So is 6 hours of mining in a game worth it? I would argue not so much anymore, and a time-sink is usually not conducive to this currency, Accomplishment.?
Accomplishment in a game for example and what I see as a trend companies can leverage is the ownership of items, or character improvements. This is why I believe seasonal model games like Diablo 4 are waning because users want to see something lasting for the hours and time they put in. For single player games it’s easier because the reward of completing a story is certainly enough. But enough about gaming or else I need to change the title of this article.
Let’s look at accomplishments on social media, Reddit is a great example. When someone posts and they get a lot of likes and replies, they will feel good and a sense of accomplishment and motivation to keep posting and sharing. This ALL dovetails with the mechanics and fairness platforms need to bring so that creators can get that little motivational bump via exposure. This is why we see art and creators' productivity take a nosedive…you don’t have to go further than the music industry with indie artists just plain stopping because no one is listening anymore. But let’s get back to the positive here, HOW can we further leverage accomplishment as a currency to further society and human improvement??
Well learning is a big one, we have that today, but we need to implement learning beyond traditional school. If fewer people are going to college or are also frustrated because more and more are going broke because of it then we must change that system …but maybe…maybe we already have an answer while we reform schooling…we have terrific online learning resources and yes we have live instructors too available. We need to put more weight on these online resources both at home AND at work. Companies need to start embracing teaching their employees more as that will foster (hopefully) loyalty and value to the company as having more educated and trained employees beyond what they came on with their resume and degree.
And this is really the point I want to hit home with and finish with…education…online education doesn't have to be free, but it’s sure a lot cheaper than college. We can through a more level headed approach include more people in the workforce and specialized areas through a thoughtful process with delegation of labor and chances given to those on active learning paths that companies are sponsoring and including as part of your day job. Trust me, half of us or maybe 90% of us have free time during work…we need structure to keep learning. I do it on my own and it’s a lot, we need MOTIVATION to learn, we can’t have a 24/7 internal compass to drive ourselves in isolation. I’m surprised we haven’t seen this beneficial hotbed potential for employees to thus benefit the company in the form of continuing education especially with everyone pitching in (including myself - sharing what I know or figured out to the world). Privacy, compliance, DE&I trainings are all well and good, but let’s think LONG term what will benefit everyone…education throughout our lifetime. It makes no sense to rush technology i.e., AI if we do not train those capable but didn’t get the chance at 18 to do the perfect degree. We can do it together, I’ll help.
