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This is kind of an anti-rec, more of a PSA.
If you havenāt heard of the marketing research company WGSN itās worth a deep dive.
Horrifying to see that years ago, a marketing research company predicted that weād all be into 90s and early 2000s nostalgia, nihilism, and awe/whimsy.
The scarier part, for me, is how companies that work with these firms will prey upon individualsā sincere interests and perspectives. Some unpaid intern from WGSN is def monitoring this app lol.
I wrestle with that competing understandings that a zeitgeist will always exist; that the transmission of preferences/ideas between people is how culture is made, with also not wanting to be unconsciously influenced by a predatory system whose only goal is to make me feel like Iām less than and therefore push me to consume.
Sry Iām super red pilled this morning lol.
Jul 10, 2024
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20 guys walking down a street in new york: all wearing doc martens and jorts, wafting vanilla down the block, a book in one hand and a matcha in the other. what the fuck? is this really them? am i really me? or are we just molded this way?
naturally, the desire to be liked by others can overpower us ā whether itās subtle code-switching or even picking up new hobbies. especially now, weāre more exposed to trends than ever. and when you see millions of people liking a video about a certain shoe, what else can your weird, molded brain think except, āif i had these shoes, people would think iām coolā?
but while iām sifting through microtrends, the same little brain worm burrows into my noggin and asks me: āwhat would i have been like, if i wasnāt exposed to any social media? to any outside opinions?ā
this question scares me. i really love writing ā but would i have started if i hadnāt been shown videos about it? where, and who, would i be without the influence of these algorithms? but i think thatās unrealistic to imagine. weāre well into the age of technology, and itās hard to avoid.
so what can we do?
what if we just put the phone down for a few months?
get shoes that actually feel good. smell everything and find a scent you like ā even if you look like a weirdo sniffing objects. find what you love and love to be. learn how to live outside the grasp of an algorithm and in the wet, wrinkly arms of your brain. iāll be doing it too.
Jun 23, 2025
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HEAR ME OUT: I love technological optimism, and the idea of transforming previously destructive, colonial, and extractive systems into things that are nurturing for the collective good (rec: "Beyond Wiindigo Infrastructure" by Dr. Winona DeLuke & Dr. Deborah Cowen, Indigenous theorists talking about how to transform infrastructures beyond its colonial harm).
What I DON'T like is the fact that this god-awful long manifesto is just bootlicking capitalism, pushing the idea that eternal growth is possible (without any detriment to the environment or people around us), and arguing that the free market is going to end poverty lol. It's fake deep and like,, way too tone deaf to acknowledge the fact that in our society, for people to be "rich" there always has to be someone suffering at the bottom. The "market" doesn't exist without another person's expense.
Anyway read at your own risk I guess-- If you hate it, feel free to rant with me in the comments, if you like it then feel free to voice your take and I'd love to gain a fresh perspective.
Jun 11, 2025
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anyone on pi.fyi will likely feel seen and heard when reading this. it basically accentuates all the redundancies and senseless aspects of social media and how itās disrupted every industry and how we are all dominated by the algorithm and have to be our own hype person. i always feel like an idiot after i finish a record or a book that i'm really excited to share with the world, but then have to think about ācontentā to promote the art itself. obviously pi.fyi feels likes a refreshing beacon of hope because artists can share their work here in a far more simple and wholesome manner. the article also addresses non-creative jobs like accountants and other professions that are all being forced to become an āinfluencerā of some sort or build a brand. itās spooky, yet weāre all feeling the fatigue so hopefully we can see a less algorithmic future soonā¦
Feb 8, 2024
Top Recs from @gabbaghoul
nothing makes me happier than receiving bespoke reactions from my pals in the group chat
Nov 17, 2024
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Everything is cyclical and youāll have your eras when you feel evolved, self-assured, like youāve āfigured it outā and then suddenly everything will feel confusing and uncertain. Then youāll cycle back. And this will happen through most of your life. And itās happening to everyone youāre jealous of.
Your time will come around, just ride the wave bb š šāāļøš¤š¼
Jul 11, 2024
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I love the mundane little tasks one has to accomplish just to maintain day to day existence. I do my best thinking when carrying out mindless tasks. Then I can apply the ideas later.
The order and calm that getting my errands and chores completed bestow upon my life allows me to better focus on things that may be more commonly considered hobbies, a.k.a. writing, reading, making art, etc.
Everything has meaning and beauty in it.
Jul 8, 2024