What the Hell is Going On - Summary

By Will Mannon (full links list)

David Perell’s essay What the Hell is Going On outlines how the shift from information scarcity to information abundance has upended commerce, education, and politics. It’s also over 13,000 words long. I’ve distilled the core arguments below:

  • In the 20th century, information was scarce. This led to monopolies of power and influence in commerce, education, and politics

  • Big brands, universities, and media outlets benefited from the 20th century’s cohesive structure, which stemmed from information scarcity

    • Brands benefitted from consumers’ lack of information by monopolizing trust

    • Universities benefitted from limited information by controlling access to accreditation and institutional network effects

    • Traditional media outlets benefitted from limited information by creating cohesive yet incomplete narratives that matched their worldview and coordinated societal thinking

      • This gave media outlets significant influence over political and policy conversations

  • The internet has flipped society from information-scarce to information-abundant

    • Information is now exponential, and can be created/distributed by anyone

    • Since authority comes from information scarcity, information-abundance is rapidly undermining traditional authorities 

    • Previously admired institutions are now “slow, stodgy, bland, and inefficient”

  • The exchange of information is now two-way, rather than one-way

    • Average people now actively create and distribute content at no cost 

    • Mass Media’s power and influence has been undercut

  • Cohesive societal narratives have fragmented as traditional “truth arbiters” (media, institutions) have fragmented

    • People feel empowered to “uncover and distribute” truth as they see it

    • Truth is shifting to “a collective endeavor”. This is a messy process that we’re just starting to recognize and figure out

    • Content is now filtered after distribution, rather than before publication

  • 20th century systems [institutions, media outlets, bureaucratic structures] “won’t work in the internet age”

  • Most people don’t recognize the shifting information environment, so discourse devolves to “anger, anxiety, and rage” as we drown in an “information vortex”

  • We must talk about our transforming media environment, because “the shape of media environments determines the structure of society”

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Perell outlines how and why information abundance is reshaping different realms of daily life.  His final line offers a note of hope: Until we understand and adapt to our digital environment, we will not be able to reap its fruits. I believe the digital fruits to be picked are plentiful and thrilling to consider. We just need to see them clearly. 

Companion piece - The Great Curation