Overcoming content loneliness
Does the content you consume leave you feeling empty?
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE #187
Despite being more connected today than we’ve ever been, at least online, one of the biggest issues we face today is loneliness.
We’ve overcome with content yet we’re starving for in-person, real world, meaningful connections.
Despite having social media connections around the world, I’m less connected to people today that I’ve ever been and I suspect the same may be true for you.
And more and more these days a peculiar form of loneliness seems to be emerging: that of content loneliness.
Content loneliness most often arises from the mishmash of disconnect between the glamorous, precisely curated, idealized lives we most often see online—you know, the perfect home, the ideal body, the elite technical set up, and the pristine travel destination—and ordinary, everyday, ho-hum and often far from perfect messy reality of our own lives.
You’ve only got to spend an hour (scratch that, make that five minutes) scrolling through perfectly filtered photos on Instagram, reading about extravagant lifestyles and the perfect, undiscovered vacation spot, and the ENDLESS tales of simple, effortless success stories (Jesus Christ, give me a break!) to find yourself feeling inadequate, unfulfilled, isolated, and alone in your own struggles.
It’s depressing.
Sadly, the platforms we use tend to use our interests and our curiosity against us.
The more we click on what I refer to as road accident content, the more of that sort of content we see because social media algorithms are set up to dispense more of the same, thereby exacerbating the problem.
The more we click, the more we establish a pattern and the more we play a part in the content we see, all the while helping to highlight our feelings of inadequacy and reinforcing the notion of just how much our lives suck when in fact, they don’t.
The problem is that the platforms we use prioritize content that piques our curiosity and that elicits engagement because we’re way more predictable than we think we are. As sophisticated as we like to think we are, we’re not: we are creatures of habit.
We are drawn to bad news and shock headlines. The more these things sensationalize drama, the more they promote outrage, and amplify voices of negativity, the more we find ourselves being pulled in.
This creates a toxic echo chamber where genuine connection and authentic self-expression are often drowned out by the negative fake news and outright noise.
Content loneliness also stems from a lack of meaningful interaction.
While we may have hundreds of "friends" online, genuine human connection requires more than just likes and comments—demanding empathy, vulnerability, and shared experiences.
Online interactions often lack these crucial elements, leaving us feeling emotionally unfulfilled despite our constant digital engagement.
Breaking free from content loneliness requires a conscious effort.
It involves cultivating genuine connections offline, curating more of your own online experience away from social media, and in terms of prioritizing authentic self-expression—creating your own content—over consuming other people’s agenda of curated perfection.
Here are a few thoughts to help with the process:
Prioritize real-life connections: Make time for real world, face-to-face interactions with friends, family, and loved ones. Engage in activities that foster community and that build more meaningful relationships.
Curate your online experience: Unfollow or block social media accounts that make you feel inadequate or negative. Do the same with accounts that are consistently negative, disruptive, or annoying. Fight back by filling your social media feeds with inspiring, uplifting, and positive material and messaging that connects more with you and your personal values.
Embrace authenticity: Do more to share your true self, warts and flaws and all. Be vulnerable, be open, share your fears, phobias, and foibles; be honest and forthright in your online interactions. Share your thoughts about the things you value and admire. State your case about the things you welcome and be just as open about the things you won’t tolerate.
Ultimately, overcoming content loneliness requires shifting your preferences and adjusting your personal perspectives.
It's as much about recognizing the difference between curated reality and authentic life as it is about being open about the things you stand for and about the things you won’t stand for.
It's about prioritizing genuine connection over superficial engagement.
And it's about finding joy and fulfillment in the messy, imperfect beauty of our own unique human experience.
Yes, some of this will drive a few people away. But be honest: how much a part of your life were those negative people in the first place, and will you really miss them?
As always, thanks for reading.
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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … Short for vs long form.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.