- People, teens especially, used to develop and hone in on their personal “style” through and with subcultures. I’m using “style” here to refer to fashion, art, politics, music, space, beliefs, values, and so on. - If you think of culture as a web or network, you might find yourself occupying one node, like listening to a certain band or holding a certain political belief. This gave you the opportunity to explore related nodes, like a broader music genre, political ideology, or even physical spaces like record stores or skate parks. - This process of culture-finding is declining because subcultures on the whole are declining. - In their place, young people especially utilize *aesthetics*: deeply specific curated atmospheres or “vibes” with low-stakes attachment. - Aesthetics are not born out of shared experiences, context, or thought. They don’t contribute to or expand on those things in the broader zeitgeist. They are built entirely on taste. As Silcoff [[Teen Subcultures Are Fading. Pity the Poor Kids. - The New York Times|writes]]: ^cb0b49 - “Do you like this big thing? Yes, because it is big.” ^53e753 ^6297a0 - **Why is this a thing??** - [[pop culture is not reflecting what's happening in the world]] — I feel like this has to be related, but it feels very chicken vs. egg: - Are subcultures fading because the wider culture feels in limbo? Orrr, - Is our culture output not reflecting the input because there are no organically developing pathways though which we learn to *navigate* culture and expression? - [[the end point of the algorithm is always porn]] - Algorithms prioritize self-indulgent, hyper-individualistic, categorical content. - Again, chicken or the egg — does this algorithm work because this is what we’re leaning toward in society, or is society replicating the algorithm IRL? - [[{7a1b} people are becoming more interested in labels because of social media searchability]] - Despite being more connected, we are less invested in community. Being “searchable” or performing your aesthetic gives you access to the *trappings* of community… - [[{3.2a} performative aesthetics give you access to the trappings of community]] - We are also far more connected across *context*, experience, place — within those things, but also *despite* those things… - The internet has made us all our own subcultures. - If we prioritize larger reach ([[resonance over reach]]), subcultures make less sense in terms of global social media. - Lack of community ties… Just read something about how we need to stop pointing to religion as the most accessible means of community… Check links in Margo Aaron newsletter from [[2024-05-26]]. - [[{12} algorithmic monoculture]] - [[{3.3} we don't have a cultural childhood anymore]] — Do kids have access to spaces where they might find, explore, or develop subcultures? - omg, also short-form video content??? You don’t have to engage with media or context (where subcultures are often more) that takes longer than a few seconds. - When a new song comes out, you can “engage in the culture” around it by only knowing a few words. - We just saw this with [[great rap battle v3|the rap beef]] — how many of the people using these sounds on TikTok have any significant context to the conflict? - Subcultures require effort / work… Ugh, have to come back to this. - this feels similar to [[{31} we accumulate so much, but we own very little]] — it seems like we’re focused on *accumulating* the signals of a particular “vibe”, but we don’t “own” or embody the experiences, community, and context that might come with it. - some forms of consumption have become more abstract - are young people “accustomed” to owning vs. licensing? how is our idea of ownership exacerbating this?