Ad-hoc, and unhinged reflections about the impact of media, communications, and technology on collective Australian behaviour. <br/><br/><a href="https://deepfield.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">deepfield.substack.com</a>
Deepfield
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Ad-hoc, and unhinged reflections about the impact of media, communications, and technology on collective Australian behaviour. <br/><br/><a href="https://deepfield.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">deepfield.substack.com</a>
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Recent Episodes
July 9, 2023
If It Bleeds, It Reads
<p>Charlie Sheen's Tiger Blood transforms Twitter: The Wild Ride Begins</p><p>Charlie Sheen lost his blue tick on Twitter earlier in the year. He was part of Elon Musk’s platform reform where ticks were removed from users that weren’t subscribed to his shitty Twitter Blue subscription model. Beyonce lost hers, BLACKPINK lost theirs, and for a little while Abel Tesfaye (aka The Weeknd) copped a gold one. </p><p>Sheen asked for his blue tick back and after a few hours he had it returned. The jury is out on whether he just started paying for it, or if Elon granted his wish. </p><p>Sheen’s grovel for the return of his verification shouldn’t have happened. The guy essentially created what Twitter is today when in 2011 tweet by tweet, he let the world into his drug-fuelled, week long bender after being fired from Two And A Half Men. </p><p>Sick of the press and paparazzi telling his story for the worst, Sheen’s management wanted Charlie to take ownership of it and tell it himself. It was a good way to stop a worsening situation and so they hired Ad.ly to help Sheen bypass the media and talk to the world directly (<a target="_blank" href="https://digiday.com/media/how-charlie-sheen-found-twitter/">Digiday, 2011</a>). And then we were all on it, “a drug, it’s called Charlie Sheen. ” (Sheen, C, 2011).</p><p>The man embodied the essence of Twitter broetry, and his management recognised it. The platform's 280 character limit not only compelled users to share clever remarks more frequently, but its algorithm also prioritised and highlighted quips that evoked strong reactions.It wasn't sufficient to write a simple sentence on Twitter; it had to leave readers breathless with shock. But not the kind of shock that repulses and makes you want to put your phone away. It was the kind of shock that repulses yet compels you to share and snicker about it with others. The kind of shock that disgusted you because deep down, you maybe actually believed it, and you wanted to conceal that part of yourself. Drugs, misogyny, and rock ‘n roll.</p><p>Charlie Sheen became “endemic to the platform, embedded in its personality” (<a target="_blank" href="https://theoutline.com/post/8419/charlie-sheen-twitter-meltdown-2011">The Outline, 2019</a>).</p><p></p><p>Charlie Sheen became the hype cycle in Australia from January to May of 2011, peaking from February to March. If you thought that we humble Aussies were immune to celebrity spirals from the US then I’m sorry to tell you this but, you need to lower your expectations. Globally, he gained 1 million followers in 48 hours at the start of his Twitter takeover (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2011/mar/02/winning-charlie-sheen-twitter-sensation">The Guardian, 2011</a>).</p><p>Sheen arguably pioneered the side of Twitter that centered around using anger and shock as a form of entertainment. At the same time on the other side of Twitter, the Occupy Movement and the Arab Spring were using anger to cause a social uprising. But guess what side of Twitter gets more hits? The Charlie Sheen side. (See <a target="_blank" href="https://www.unisa.edu.au/unisanews/2019/december/story2/">Trump’s uprising in 2016 via Twitter</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/02/17/fox-news-dominion-ratings-fear/">Fox News’ concerns about viewership dropping if Biden was elected</a>).</p><p></p><p>When words drip blood</p><p>If it bleeds, it reads. I read that somewhere recently and can say it’s probably the most honest sentence I’ve read in a while. Basically stories involving violence, conflict, or death tend to attract heightened interest from readers. This observation holds true not only for news empires but also for social media platforms whose algorithms are designed to show users content that aligns with their interests. There is a reason that this type of content ranks on the feed, people love to see it.</p><p></p><p>But now let’s draw a parallel, because I can. The Titan and The Messenia. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-23/submersible-titanic-missing-debris-coast-guard/102514252">The missing Titan sub</a> and its 4 passengers on a deep sea expedition to view the Titanic, happened at the same time that the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-17/greek-boat-reunion-syrian-refugees-500-dead/102492320">Messenia ship, which was smuggling over 600 migrants, capsized near the coast of Greece</a>. 500 people have still not been found. The sub story was far more popular, especially here in Australia.</p><p>This tells us that there might be more nuance to ‘if it bleeds, it reads’. It’s either that we sadly don’t find migrant boat disasters that shocking anymore (<a target="_blank" href="https://missingmigrants.iom.int/region/mediterranean">27,000 migrants have died at sea in the Mediterranean Sea alone in the last decade</a>) or that our always loyal friend <a target="_blank" href="https://deepfield.substack.com/p/aspiration-isnt-dead-its-middle-class-f84">‘class’</a> has reared its head.I’m sure it’s a little from column A and a little from column B. And a little bit from column C, where the capital C stands for Colonial mentality.</p><p>Migrant boats sink all the time. The Titanic only sank once. And the Titan sub only sank once.</p><p>It’s us. And it’s them. But it’s mainly us.</p><p>News empires don’t set the agenda of social conversation alone anymore. We, the people, tell them what we want with our clicks and likes. By engaging with shocking and negative content, we signal to news outlets and social media platforms what we want to see and discuss.</p><p>Twitter disrupted the traditional news cycle by enabling individuals to share news directly. Charlie Sheen's tweets became news stories themselves, challenging traditional media's control over narratives. They could no longer break something shocking about Sheen, when he was doing it himself. </p><p>News-empires thrive when individuals fail to take control of their own narrative. It's a dilemma: either allow others to misrepresent your story or embrace the demanding world of constant social media presence to tell it yourself. We are addicted to the stream of information, regardless of its source, as long as it keeps flowing steadily.</p><p>When individuals seize control of their narrative, bypassing traditional media channels and communicating directly with their audience, it undermines the centralised power of information. We are starting to see this played out on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/here-are-the-weirdest-tiktoks-posted-by-australian-politicians/9ua9v84l8">TikTok in Australian politics</a>. </p><p>G’Day. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@therealbobkatte">Bob Katter</a> has entered the chat.</p><p>Bob Katter is using TikTok to make his voice heard. Despite being portrayed by the mainstream media as lacking the credentials deemed necessary for political influence, Katter challenges the notion that only <a target="_blank" href="http://chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://percapita.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/The-Way-In-Representation-in-the-Australian-Parliament-2.pdf">individuals from elite backgrounds</a> should have a say in shaping the country's future.Katter has embraced TikTok to redefine his identity and clearly communicate what he is fighting for. And it appears to be working. Since joining TikTok in 2019, his favorability among Australian voters increased by 10 points in 2022 (YouGov, 2022).</p><p>TikTok serves as a proxy, but it's not the sole factor. In the previous Federal election, the number of Independent seats in the Australian House of Representatives surged by 75%. As media decentralises, our beliefs and opinions, which shape our desired society, also become more diverse.</p><p></p><p>Rupert Murdoch is a Sith Lord and Empire is over</p><p>In his essay "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsweek.com/charlie-sheen-winning-66173">Charlie Sheen Is Winning</a>", writer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.breteastonellis.com/">Bret Easton Ellis </a>(<a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/may/02/has-fiction-lost-its-edge-american-psycho-bret-easton-ellis-leila-slimani">American Psycho</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://lonesomereader.com/blog/2023/1/20/less-than-zero-by-bret-easton-ellis">Less Than Zero</a>) highlights the link between media decentralisation and the decentralisation of political power. He argues that Sheen's embrace of a decentralised media and narrative represents a characteristic of a "post-Empire" world. </p><p>In this world, individuals unashamedly express their true selves and refuse to downplay their beliefs for the sake of others' comfort. This challenges the illusion of the idealised figures we aspire to be, like celebrities, politicians, athletes, and fashion designers, who possess power and influence. In a society driven by consumerism and appearances, this post-Empire mindset disrupts the status quo and poses a problem for the established Empire. </p><p>Empire, in this context, refers to the keeping up of appearances, pretending that everything is fine even when it's not, and retreating from the public eye when faced with controversy until making a public apology and condemning yourself to the depths of Hades. </p><p>Empire is shattered. The glass dome that held it all together has been cracked open. Fragmented across tiny pieces of the day, in our pockets, with millions of people around the world creating and sharing content that reaffirms their own perspective.Hegemonic thought is decaying, but what grows in its place has two sides - conspiracy theories and social justice.</p><p></p><p>Decentralised Destiny: Embracing the Future's Boundless Possibilities</p><p>So what happens now? Do we keep the momentum of the past decade of chaos? Or do we acknowledge that traditional communication methods need to be replaced by smaller, community-owned channels that hold future value? <a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/included-but-still-marginalised-indigenous-voices-still-missing-in-media-stories-on-indigenous-affairs-163426">This shift would then acknowledge the power of decentralised platforms and the importance of engaging with diverse and localised communities</a>. I don’t think Empire is into that. </p><p>In the age of fragmentation, Empire will not prevail. Communities and microcultures will.</p><p>People are actively seeking out individuals who share their interests to form friendships and shape their way of life. This trend, although diverse, can lead to both positive and negative outcomes. </p><p>For instance, S<a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-27/ticket-scalping-laws-taylor-swift-melbourne-tour-major-event/102530232">wifties successfully lobbied for better governance over ticket scalping, and the City of Melbourne responded to their concerns</a>. On the other hand, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/target-remove-some-lbgtq-merchandise-after-facing-customer-backlash-2023-05-23/">conservative individuals in the US have been causing disruptions at Target stores, leading the company to retract their support for Pride displays</a>.</p><p>This shift towards microcultures brings both peace and complexity to society, especially for those that can’t seem to wrap their heads around <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/economic-migration-australia-21st-century">the benefits of diversity, both socially and economically. </a></p><p>While the entrenchment of microcultures may pose some challenges, it’s no more problematic than the dominance of Empire. Here in Australia, we’re about to enter a referendum that starts to abolish Empire, course correct colonisation and eventually decentralise power. Our First Nations people will have a voice, and they will take control of their narrative from traditional media (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-11/australian-mainstream-media-often-perpetuate-racism-report-finds/12849912">a mouthpiece for white imperialism</a>). They will undermine the centralised power of information. This is progress, enabled by post-Empire.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://deepfield.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">deepfield.substack.com</a>
June 3, 2023
Living to age, and aging to live
<p>Last month a 95-year-old woman with dementia, died in a hospital after being tasered by police in an aged care facility.Her name was Clare Nowland.Clare suffered from dementia and was receiving end-of-life care, weighing only 43 kilograms (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-24/new-details-revealed-about-the-aged-care-home/102388918">ABC, 2023</a>).</p><p>In 2008, Clare shattered the limits of what was expected, embracing life with unwavering determination. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-18/clare-nowland-skydives-to-celebrate-birthday/102364436">Filmed by ABC</a>, she fearlessly marked her 80th birthday by plunging into the open skies with a skydive. She was still in her prime.</p><p></p><p>This tragic occurrence prompted me to write about what I’ve been reading for most of the year; the aging brain. I was initially seeking ways to rewire my own brain and stumbled on the concept of neuroplasticity—the brain's remarkable ability to adapt and reorganise itself.</p><p></p><p>For centuries, we believed our brains peaked at 18 and deteriorated by 25, disregarding neuroplasticity as a childhood phenomenon. (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncel.2019.00066/full">Mateos-Aparicio & Rodríguez-Moreno, 2019</a>). This belief system has influenced our current societal structure.</p><p>At 4, we start school, absorb knowledge like a sponge, and have meltdowns over the crusts being left on our Vegemite sandwiches. At 18, we face a test that determines whether we’re destined for brilliance or mediocrity while navigating careers and Maccas drive-thru runs. Fast forward to 25, and society expects us to have it all figured out: career, ladder climbing, a million-dollar mortgage for a one-bedroom apartment, marriage to someone you met on the Barcelona Contiki tour, and baby plans. </p><p>By 25, we're supposed to have our shit sorted. The brain has explored its limits. It is what it is. When I was 25 I used to play a game with my mate to see who could do the most vodka shots in one night. On my 25th birthday, I somehow cut my hand open on the filthy floor of Cherry Bar after doing these vodka shots.</p><p>If we are saying that is where my brain peaked and that my shit was meant to be sorted, I’d be pretty worried. What I will say is that this is when my brain learned what it felt like to get a tetanus shot directly into an open wound (ie. no good).</p><p></p><p>But, there is good news for society and folks like me. Our understanding of neuroplasticity has advanced significantly in the last twenty years. It's now widely accepted that the brain remains flexible throughout our lives, though more so in our youth (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.normandoidge.com/?page_id=1259">Doidge, N 2007</a>). </p><p>Our improved understanding of neuroplasticity means that anyone can learn, rewire their brain, and achieve remarkable medical transformations.</p><p>Neuroplasticity has enabled:</p><p>* Mora Leeb, who had half her brain removed in surgery, to rewire the remaining half to function as a full brain (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/03/22/1165131907/neuroplasticity-plasticity-glass-half-full-girl#:~:text=Press-,Teen%20who%20lost%20half%20her%20brain%20when%20very%20young%20shows,process%20known%20as%20brain%20plasticity.">NPR, 2023</a>)</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://www.brain.rehab/Linda-Radestad">Linda Radestad</a>, a stroke survivor, to rewire her brain and regain the ability to speak and walk</p><p></p><p>The existence of neuroplasticity in old age emphasises the need for nurturing environments that promote the well-being of older adults.Especially because lifespan is expanding. Australia ranks<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2346751-australias-life-expectancy-has-risen-to-third-highest-in-the-world/#:~:text=This%20isolation%20also%20reduced%20deaths,in%20from%20overseas%2C%20he%20says.&text=Another%20reason%20for%20Australia's%20high,other%20countries%E2%80%9D%2C%20says%20Adair."> third globally in life expectancy</a>, with an average lifespan of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/australian-life-expectancy-increases-during-covid-19-pandemic">at least 84 years</a>. In 1850, the average lifespan was ten.</p><p>We’re really good at prolonging life, but we’re not very good at making the most of that extra time. Despite ranking third in global life expectancy, Australia has the highest percentage of older individuals living in institutional care, with 20% of people over 80 living in an aged care facilities(<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2020/213/4/australia-over-reliant-residential-aged-care-support-our-older-population#tbox1">Dyer, S., Valeri, M., Arora, N., Tilden, D., Crotty M., 2020</a>). </p><p>To be honest, I’m not surprised by these numbers. Spend some time in Spain or Korea and you’ll see senior citizens everywhere just living their best life. They can be seen walking with their grandkids, socialising in senior playgrounds, or commuting to the market on buses. This way of living is deeply ingrained in their respective cultures.</p><p>I’m half Greek and had it drummed into me pretty early on that if I planned on buying a house, my Dad would need a house out the back to live in too. Growing up, all my Greek and Italian mates had Yiayia, Pappous, Nonna, and Nonno living out the back making biscuits, growing tomatoes, and absolutely owning at Tavli. Closing out life the way you should; surrounded by family and life’s simple pleasures.</p><p>Other cultures don’t seem to leave their elderly in homes like we do in Australia. Out of sight, out of mind.</p><p></p><p>Neuroplasticity is also closely linked to dementia, which is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dementia.org.au/statistics">the second leading cause of death and affects two-thirds of aged care residents in Australia</a>. While neuroplasticity cannot completely prevent or reverse dementia, early intervention can slow its progression and improve cognitive function (<a target="_blank" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22904596/">Hill, NL., Kolanowski, AM., Gill, DJ., 2011</a>).</p><p>This is because the brain operates on a "use it or lose it" principle, where actively engaging and stimulating specific areas helps maintain their health and connectivity. Neglecting parts of the brain can lead to degeneration and challenges in reactivating those neural pathways we’ve built over time (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166432811003330?via%3Dihub">Shors, TJ., Anderson, ML., Curlik, DM., Nokia, MS., 2012</a>). </p><p>Placing seniors in care homes accelerates the "use it or lose it" process, as they often spend significant time isolated in their rooms with limited social interaction (<a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/what-do-aged-care-residents-do-all-day-we-tracked-their-time-use-to-find-out-190147">The Conversation, 2022</a>). Socialising plays a vital role in stimulating attention, and memory, and reinforcing neural networks which is something that we see incrementally reversed in the cutest show ever, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3Oj7qADh54">Old People’s Home For Four-Year-Olds</a>. Loneliness increases the risk of dementia by 40% (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/3-ways-to-build-brain-boosting-social-connections-202109082585#:~:text=Research%20increasingly%20shows%20that%20strong,activity%20pays%20off%20over%20time.">Harvard, 2021)</a>. </p><p>It's crucial to prioritise mental stimulation and foster social connections in caring for seniors to improve their overall well-being. This requires a shift in perception and reinvention.</p><p></p><p><strong>Perception</strong></p><p>Age is a privilege, but our culture sees it as a burden. To age is to live, and to live is to age yet popular media portrays a different narrative. Only 11% of film characters in any given year are over 65, and only 2% of them are the main character. When older characters are portrayed, they are often depicted as frail or senile, perpetuating the notion that they are no longer healthy and a burden on everyone around them.</p><p>Popular media says you're as good as dead. </p><p>Let’s take a look at some of those core films with over 65s as the main characters. Gran Turino, A Man Called Ove, and Still Alice. All people with racist views or facing age-related diseases that hinder their ability to live fulfilling lives.Want to go deeper down the sadness hole? Watch Amour and Vortex. Curse me later.</p><p>What if we could just not look old though? Would that help with ageing? </p><p>Maybe. Long-term search trends for ‘anti-aging products’ and ‘botox’ are on an upward trajectory. Look at that red botox line go as high as the latest cast of MAFs unmovable eyebrows.Apparently aging is the worst thing that can happen to us. We hit our prime the minute we emerge from the womb. Anytime beyond that requires fillers.</p><p></p><p><strong>Re-invention</strong></p><p>Valuing aging as a privilege means prioritising spaces for older adults to explore and grow, similar to how we do for children. Embracing the neuroplasticity of the aging brain requires reinventing our cities and shifting the focus of digital applications toward promoting brain flexibility rather than addiction. </p><p>This means digital products need to remove exploitative features like FOMO, real-time notifications, instant gratification, and infinite scroll. They instead need to use what is called a closed-loop system. This system finds the right balance of engagement, avoiding excessive rewards or low cognitive engagement in order to optimise cognitive enhancement and neuroplasticity. (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-022-00237-5">Zielger, D., Anguera, J., Gallen, C., Hsu, WY., Wais, P., Gazzaley, A., 2022</a>).</p><p></p><p>Luckily, there are dedicated legends creating these types of products. Here are a few examples:</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.geocaching.com/play"><strong>Geocaching</strong></a></p><p>Seniors who age in place can benefit from neighborhood outings, both physically and mentally. Geocaching, a GPS-based activity, is a great way for seniors to explore their surroundings, meet new people, and enhance cognitive fitness.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2021/03/420096/playing-virtual-reality-video-game-may-boost-seniors-memory"><strong>Labyrinth VR</strong></a></p><p>UC San Francisco's Neuroscape created this VR game for seniors where they wear a VR headset, complete tasks in different neighborhoods, and progress through 42 levels. The game involves physical movement, improving blood flow to the brain and cognitive performance.Research shows the game enhances high-fidelity memory, the ability to distinguish new objects from similar ones. This suggests positive effects on seniors' long-term memory.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/urban-design-program/age-friendly-street-design-toolkit/age-friendly-map"><strong>Access Map Seattle</strong></a></p><p>Elderly citizens already use mobile phones and connected devices, including watches, to navigate the city. In Seattle, data from these devices is used to create an access map for elderly citizens, including details on path incline and accessibility, the location of toilets, water fountains, shaded areas, and public benches. </p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://veteranpoolen.se/"><strong>Veteranpoolen, Sweden</strong></a></p><p>Veteranpoolen is basically Airtasker, connecting people with individuals that are retired, capable of doing odd jobs, and want to stay active in their community. Imagine spending a cute day with a retired gardener learning all their knowledge about planting veggies and having a cup of tea when you’re done. Cute.</p><p></p><p>These solutions focus on connecting aged citizens to the real world and reimagining age-friendly public spaces. Through the meaningful application of technology, these solutions foster meaningful connections with society. </p><p></p><p>It is important to challenge the misguided belief that the brain deteriorates with age. In reality, each day presents new opportunities for our brains to thrive. </p><p>I don’t want to spend my final days in the metaverse, having to scroll through a Roblox experience just to catch a ride to the fake library in a digital Balenciaga hoodie. I want to spend it in the real world - making shit jokes with everyone else in the self-driving car on the way to the library. To read a real book before I go off to meet some friends at the park and walk my real dog.To keep enjoying the world, and the people I find in it. </p><p>Vale Clare Nowland. And may we all find ourselves aging to live.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://deepfield.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">deepfield.substack.com</a>
March 6, 2023
Fragments of actual life
<p>Warning: Some of the music videos I have linked in this article contain offensive language and adult scenes so please don’t feel compelled to watch them if you don’t want to. The article will make sense without them.</p><p></p><p>Some Saturday mornings I get up early enough to watch Rage on <strong>ABC</strong>. I wake up expecting to see <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9i1vomBOcc">audio-visual experiments from VCA over a dolewave drone</a> but instead, I get Miley Cyrus humping the ground in ‘<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7KNmW9a75Y">Flowers</a>’. This is what I get for waking up to watch Rage rather than staying up to watch it.</p><p>Rage was an institution when there was no <strong>Spotify</strong>, when there was no <strong>YouTube,</strong> and when there was no <strong>TikTok</strong>. Rage has no algorithm commercialising ‘the personal experience’. It’s just a bunch of producers that need to fill six hours of music video programming every weekend from midnight to 6AM.The viewing experience is marked by randomness, and audiences often stick around for one more song in search of new music they may enjoy.</p><p>An episode of <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Safran%27s_Music_Jamboree">John Safran’s Music Jamboree</a> (a 2002 <strong>SBS</strong> music documentary series), showed how easy it was to get a video into the playlist. Safran strapped a camcorder to his dog and turned it into a video over a joke dance track (which is actually quite good upon relistening). It made it onto Rage.</p><p></p><p>But I want to take you back to the winter of 2003. It was 1AM and I had fallen asleep in front of the loungeroom heater in my childhood home (<a target="_blank" href="https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/d73d766d9c2759b23888b8deba81b939?impolicy=wcms_crop_resize&cropH=483&cropW=725&xPos=0&yPos=0&width=862&height=575">brown Vulcan wall gas heater</a>. IYKYK). I woke up to Aphex Twin’s ‘<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZT3gTu4Sjw">Windowlicke</a>r’ (1999) playing on Rage. It was ten minutes and 42 seconds of disturbing weirdness that truly haunted me but interested me. I became obsessed with the UK acid dance scene and would read old issues of <a target="_blank" href="https://theface.com/archive">The Face</a> at the library and borrowed CDs from the genre. I never lived it, but I longed for those days to come back. I wanted rave culture while Mum had put a ban on Roll-Ups in the house.</p><p></p><p>Pull forward to today and there is a lot of chatter about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-au/gen-z-nostalgia-millennial-experience">Gen Z’s love for nostalgia</a>. <a target="_blank" href="https://deepfield.substack.com/p/the-future-of-nostalgia">I wrote about this topic last year</a>, noting that nostalgia has evolved from a personal experience to a shared one, thanks to social media. As a result, what may be fleeting for an individual becomes permanent for their audience.</p><p>Fragmented everywhere, their nostalgia lives in a feed photo, a short video, a tweet, or a screenshotted message. It’s ready to be revisited <a target="_blank" href="https://youthsense.com.au/parents/top-issues-worrying-gen-zs-2022-will-surprise-you/">when the present and future constantly seems heavy</a>.</p><p>What we are nostalgic for, after all, is part of our identity. </p><p></p><p>But now, enter <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXF6DMVLIVRr2OQAqyfEGeg">Fred Again…</a> The London DJ who is immensely popular with Gen Z and recently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pedestrian.tv/music/fred-again-melbourne-secret-show-sold-out-record-time/">sold out a secret Melbourne show in 3.4 seconds</a>. His 'Actual Life' album trilogy chronicles his personal experiences over the past three years, reflecting distinct phases of disconnection, limited connection, and reconnection through intimate voice recordings of his friends, Instagram clips, his favourite songs, and crisp club hits.</p><p>Many of us experience life in a similar way to Fred Again... by listening to music and using audio to enhance our daily commutes. Although <a target="_blank" href="http://www.pedestrian.melbourne.vic.gov.au/#date=01-03-2023&time=21">hundreds of people walk from Flinders Street station to Southbank each day</a>, each journey is unique due to the music we listen to, the messages we read, the videos we watch, and the memories we attach to them. In fact, 33% of Australians stream music through their headphones daily, indicating that while these experiences occur in isolation, the behavior is widespread (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5634814/">Gilliver, Nguyen, Beach, Barr, 2017</a>).</p><p>This happened to me at Miami International Airport, back in 2011. My flight to New York was canceled so I lay on the ground at my gate and waited for the next one. I listened to an album to pass the time (cliché to say that it was Bon Iver’s self-titled album). Watching people eat their Dunkin’ Donuts while listening to ‘<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWcyIpul8OE">Holocene</a>’ reminded me of how beautifully basic this life can be.</p><p></p><p>But it wouldn’t be 2023 if this didn’t happen on <strong>TikTok</strong>. And it wouldn’t be <strong>TikTok</strong> if this phenomenon didn’t have its own aesthetic. Never fear, it’s edgy af; it’s <a target="_blank" href="https://nobells.blog/corecore/">#corecore</a>.</p><p>With over 1.3b views on the hashtag, #corecore is a video editing style that brings together movie clips, images, and phone-filmed moments to conjure a mood. Its M.O. is to make an audience that is so numb from scrolling, feel something. Gen Z reportedly spends 95 minutes a day on <strong>TikTok</strong> (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mediaweek.com.au/warc-new-data-finds-gen-z-spend-two-thirds-of-media-time-online/">WARC, 2022</a>), and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.listenfirstmedia.com/4-insights-you-need-to-know-about-video-length-on-social-media/">with each video lasting 47 seconds on average</a> - they’re watching around 121 different videos a day, on that app alone. #corecore’s noble mission to cut through has dignity.</p><p>And of course, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp4vQjrBKBw">Aphex Twin’s ‘QKThr’</a> is the main track used for #corecore. Everything starts and ends with Aphex Twin.</p><p>Australian #corecore expresses our dystopian dream by lamenting the Aussie battler. Behind every rental or interest rate increase, and behind every $7.20 bag of Red Rock Deli chips is a bloke just trying to work and knock off with his mates.</p><p>While our social feeds are curated for attention, #corecore is curated for perspective. It critiques the systems that have made us this way while at the same time feeding into them. And for Australian #corecore, we have to <a target="_blank" href="https://deepfield.substack.com/p/aspiration-isnt-dead-its-middle-class-f84">make the loss of our middle-class a joke</a>. Because if you aren’t laughing, you’re crying. </p><p>The fragmented content in the videos mimics how anyone that grew up using social media views the lives of others. It’s also how Fred Again… creates his music and his videos.No feeling is complete. Moments exist in isolation amongst a constant stream of other moments. What is important to us, exists among what others think is important. A baby’s first birthday streams next to Aperol Spritz’ being clinked. Everything is nothing.</p><p>The more we lean into this, the lonelier we feel, and the more isolated we become. In order to feel connected, people are compelled to produce content. It creates a sense of security; if we’re all creating the same thing then at least we are feeling alone, together. </p><p>It begs the question - Are we living the best years of our lives, or are we just trying to capture them?</p><p>As I round off this article I acknowledge that #corecore is nothing new. This feeling of everything and nothing has been around since anyone, ever, hit adolescence. We love to want things, “we just want to want things” (<a target="_blank" href="https://zine.kleinkleinklein.com/p/social_commentary_vol1">Klein, 2023</a>).</p><p>Cast your mind back to that broody teenage guy in American Beauty that filmed a plastic bag floating around. “Video is a poor excuse I know. But it helps me remember. I need to remember.” </p><p>Waking up to Rage at 1AM hits different to scrolling in bed at 1AM.Rage ends at 6. The internet does not.I wonder how Gen Alpha will display their melancholy and nostalgia in Roblox.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://deepfield.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">deepfield.substack.com</a>
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