In general I shy away from statements lamenting the current state of things because they usually rely on an incorrect assumption that things were better in the past, and this extends from "critical thinking is dead" to "they don't make 'em like they used to" to "kids these days." Kids have always been "kids these days," they didn't make 'em like they used to 50 years ago either, and I'd wager most people throughout history didn't care to examine the underlying themes of art and literature.
That said, it does honestly feel like shit is getting worse right now.
Not kids these days, tho
The kids are probably the same as they've ever been
I more mean the other stuff
One thing I do not put any stock in is any claim that art is worse now than it has ever been
There has always been shit art, we just don't remember it (individually or culturally) because it was bad
Only the good stuff gets remembered
So like as much as I bang on about tiktok lit, it's not going to destroy The Novel
@coriander i was thinking this earlier but i think it also pertains to this so i will say it now:
it’s just the spaces that are getting worse
the schools are worse, the hangout spots are worse, the workplaces are worse, the internet is worse
i think we have pretty good evidence for all of these things
but are the people worse? idk, the people might be the same, could even be better, it’s hard to say when you only ever encounter them in a shitty environment
likewise, the art isn’t worse. there will never be art which responds better to the present moment than art being made now. but the publishing companies, radio stations, tv networks, movie studios, etc etc? yeah those have all gotten pretty bad
@Lady as always you have a fantastic take~