To slop or not to slop
Is there a place and time for slop media?
As a chronically online generation, experiencing the overwhelming rise of “slop media” — which is normally defined as AI-generated content, but also encompasses mediocre brain-rot videos, articles, and even opinions that reflect such content. But despite the ethical qualms of AI and the rise of anti-intellectualism, is there a place and time for slop media? The Medium asked three students to reflect on this question. And no matter how anti-slop you may be, you’ll probably end up doom-scrolling on TikTok for 45 minutes after reading this article (if your attention span allows it).
Erin: What is slop media distracting us from?
I find the rise of slop media quite sad! There are so many wonderful books, movies, and other forms of media that already exist, and I think slop media as it stands today can prevent us from experiencing them fully. I certainly often find myself scrolling on Twitter instead of reading my copy of Ulysses.
I don’t just think that slop media robs us of time. I think it can also affect our ability to engage with “non-slop” media. As Martin Scorcese explains, franchise films like Marvel movies crowd our commercial cinema, pushing out movies that might offer us unexpected experiences. Also, ChatGPT is now able to better mimic the style of Studio Ghibli. I think that can work to depoliticize that studio’s films and to reduce them to just an “aesthetic.”
Engaging with meaningful, ambitious, and transformative works of art can be difficult and even unpleasant. Meanwhile, Marvel movies are perpetually in theatres, the internet is flooded with AI-generated content and images, and every app has some sort of short-form video feature. While I’m not surprised that slop is so popular, I think it’s a shame that it prevents us from experiencing more meaningful works of art.
Massimo: A slippery slope
As someone who uses social media sites such as YouTube quite frequently, I’ve come to notice that media slop is only becoming more common. If you use social media there is a good chance you’ve seen AI generated art, reels, and replicas of other creators, but I’ve found that a lot of media slop doesn’t even use AI. Most videos on my homepage are simply just effortless content that revolves around regurgitating popular takes, trends, and drama to gain more views on the algorithm, while limiting the amount of uniqueness and creativity.
But sometimes, there could be a catch; I believe that some creators tend to resort to reactionary content, drama commentary, and reporting about new trends simply so they can fund the larger creative projects that they actually care about. Because a lot of creators rely on posting content for a living, one of the easiest options to make more money is to make what sells, even if it means resorting to producing slop media to fund resources to make the content that one is actually passionate about. But I think we should question a world that drives creators to the slop industry, especially at the expense of creative authenticity.
Callie: slop media is a necessary evil!
In my opinion, slop media is a necessary evil. Similarly to functionalism, for a system to function, there needs to be negatives to balance out the positives. Of course, slop media is not Pulitzer Prize-winning quality content, but it is still consumable. Not everything needs to be ‘intellectual’ or serious; sometimes you just want to shut off your critical thinking brain and rot. Obviously, it’s healthy to consume ‘proper’ media from time to time, and watch out for AI misinformation slop, but at the end of an exhausting day, there’s nothing wrong with plopping down on your bed and scrolling on TikTok for a daily dopamine hit. Which is exactly what you’ll do after reading this article!
