The English word ‘numbskull’ may have its origins in the late 17th c. But it sure is tailormade for our era that, in turn, is tailormade for our brains to be anaesthetised. While it may seem that today’s Shinkansen-paced, outrage-fuelled, headline-howling media – and regional TV media is its shahenshah – has made us jump to every new item shown, treating it as earth-shattering, the truth is, fundamentally, it’s done quite the opposite. If the neighbour’s daughter sneezes, brace yourself for a full-panel discussion on its potential impact on global warming. Did a celebrity order a latte? Hold my drink, the channels are lighting up.
We’ve lost the ability to discern between ‘mildly interesting’ and ‘cataclysmically important’. Sinking of the Titanic and mild inconvenience at an influencer’s brunch now occupy the same news urgency. And anything vaguely ‘Indian’ in the world out there? ‘One of the members of Nasa chief’s core team had his lab coat designed by a PIO‘ – OMG! Engagement metrics demand drama, and subtlety is so 20th century. So, here we are, staring at our screens, waiting for the next notification to hear: ‘THIS! CHANGES! EVERYTHING!’ It rarely does. But that’s not the point, innit? Not to give more gyan like a media studies prof, but when every shot is a six, you’ll need a new dopamine rush. Who knows, it may be a… DOT BALL!
