The Vanishing Gentleman

All Things Creative Begin with Good Intentions

by Dana Raye Barnaby

In the beginning, creative platforms were born from a desire to foster connection, inspire creativity, and provide a space for meaningful interaction - all comparable traits of the remaining gentleman in this world. Facebook had honest and humble beginnings aimed to connect friends, Instagram sought to share beautiful images, and Medium was created as a haven for writers to explore ideas.

I still remember when an ex-girlfriend, studying at the University of Toronto showed me the new Facebook app, and I thought cool ( I was much younger then), this looks like a terrific tool for educated classmates to share ideas and promote a community of like-minded individuals.

Sadly, my first impression was utterly wrong, as most impressions are. Over time, Facebook and most other platforms evolved away from their original intentions, succumbing to monetization and manipulation.

Algorithms Are Numbing My Mind

The advancement of algorithms further complicates this evolution. What was once a space for genuine engagement has now become inundated with targeted ads and sensational content, democratizing the creativity that once flourished. These algorithms often limit exposure to diverse content, fostering echo chambers and contributing to divisiveness, while prioritizing their perception of us - the purchaser. The problem isn't just that these algorithms exist; it's that they control what we see, shaping our digital lives into narrow streams of predictable content.

I recently heard a podcast on CBC’s The Current, with Jia Tolentino, a staff writer at the New Yorker magazine, who was expecting her second child and tried everything to hide her pregnancy from her phone - calling it, Her Hidden Pregnancy Experiment.  She did this in the attempt to prevent her entire feed from being deluged with ads for diapers, strollers, and self-help books on sleeping habits of newborns.

Knowing that companies use our phones to track everything about us, Jia said, “There is this vast hidden network of companies, data brokers, and ad companies that are tracking our every move and are buying, selling, and trading information on who we are and what we might buy… The industry for location data, also known as Surveillance Capitalism,  is an 18-billion-dollar industry alone”.

The Struggle of Real Creators in a Clickbait Culture

I have experienced this first hand (not the pregnancy issue - being a male), but as a writer who wants to share thoughtful essays, stories, and explorations of real ideas, I find that my work gets lost in the sea of clickbait articles dominating platforms like Medium. Instead of readers discovering meaningful content, they are bombarded with How to Make Money Writing, 10 Ways to Market Your Book, and other formulaic, algorithm-friendly topics.

The original spirit of these platforms, to foster true creative expression and build communities, has been overtaken by the pursuit of clicks, engagement metrics, and monetization schemes. It is demoralizing to watch meaningful work disappear beneath an avalanche of shallow content.

The Death of Thoughtful Engagement

The democratization of art through AI and other tools can overshadow talented creators, making it harder to find quality content amidst the noise. Algorithms have become gatekeepers, often restricting us to what they think we want, rather than challenging us with new perspectives. This contributes to a dumbing down of content, making everything seem ordinary and reducing meaningful interactions.

We are becoming a clickbait nation, a clickbait humanity, where people read headlines instead of stories, skim summaries instead of books, and consume just enough surface-level content to feel informed without truly engaging with ideas.

The Spread of Misinformation: Feeding Off the Ignorant

Worse, this environment enables the rampant dissemination of misinformation, feeding off the ignorant and reinforcing falsehoods at an unprecedented scale. When people only consume content that affirms their existing beliefs, content carefully curated by algorithms for maximum engagement, the truth becomes irrelevant. The consequences are profound: a misinformed public, a fractured society, and a culture increasingly unable to distinguish fact from fiction. The pursuit of truth, once at the heart of creative and intellectual endeavors, is being eroded by the constant churn of content designed for profit rather than enlightenment.

Reclaiming Meaningful Creativity and Thoughtful Conversations

I know this all sounds incredibly disheartening, but as in all of my essays, there is still hope and change is possible. By being mindful of our interactions and focusing on content that truly matters, we can influence algorithms positively. This will be a great first step, but platform creators must also aid in the dissemination by implementing filters that eliminate quick-rich schemes and foster an environment where genuine creativity and meaningful engagement can thrive.

We need to encourage deep engagement, just as reading a full book or listening to an entire album provides a richer experience than a snippet or a single song, consuming full-length articles and diverse perspectives fosters a more thoughtful society. It's time to return to a place where good work matters, where deep, meaningful content is valued, and where thoughtful conversations can flourish once more.

The power is in your hands! You can ultimately control the narrative by not falling for the clickbait articles. I know they’re tempting with their promises to make you Rich in 2025, but your intellectual survival is at stake.

I believe in you, and united, we can become a faction for change.

Thank you for taking the time to join me on this journey of reflection and storytelling. If these words have resonated, you might enjoy my second series of essays called, The Art of Living. 

Subscribe today to continue our conversation. Together, we can explore the timeless art of living thoughtfully and graciously. Your support means the world to me.

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