Remember what Wizzo was saying in today’s MondayMorningMemo about “retargeting?” Matt Bai mentions another variation of it in a well-crafted rant published just last Thursday.
“What’s happened is that we’ve effectively left behind the Age of Persuasion and ushered in the Age of Confirmation. It sometimes seems the whole world exists to re-affirm our conceptions of it; you can get through days, even weeks, without being at all discomfited, if you know which sites to visit and which channels to watch.”
“This isn’t confined to politics. We target self-help books and superhero movies at consumers whose habits we know, rather than do the hard work of trying to convince anyone to broaden their minds. (Did you like Sheryl Sandberg’s book? Then you’ll love Arianna Huffington’s version, which is pretty much the same thing, right down to the catchphrase title and cover photo.) Log on to Amazon.com, the supermall of the confirmation culture, and you will instantly be introduced to all of the books, movies and songs that are exactly like all the others you’ve purchased recently.”
“We have more options and access to information than any society in human history, and less inclination to avail ourselves of it.”