I’ve been thinking a lot about authenticity. We are living in a time where we have unprecedented access to other people. We get constant glimpses into the lives of others, it feels intimate, but it’s not. These glimpses are posed, constructed moments; they are the highlights of a person’s day, not the mess and tedium that makes up the bulk of their life. The food porn might feel tedious, but it’s not depicting the tedium. It isn't surprising that people who primarily negotiate the world through social media crave intimacy. The videos that go viral aren't polished, well constructed stories, they are unintentional, unscripted moments caught on video. The lower the production values, the more real the video feels. There is a thirst for authenticity, to experience life unmediated by the tools of media production.

While there is an incredible demand for video content these days, the craft of storytelling has been greatly devalued. I don’t think this is just a product of technology making production easier and more accessible. I think the craft of storytelling is a victim of the pursuit of authenticity.