Time as Currency
A position that pays $14/hr or one that pays $15/hr. Same position; same company; same benefits. Which would you choose?
You would probably choose the one with the higher pay, even if it is only one more dollar per hour.
Another scenario. A position pays an annual wage of $100 000 or one that pays $101 000. Again. Same position; same company; same benefits. Which would you choose?
Most likely you would choose the one with the higher pay. Even though that $1 000 is not much in comparison to a $100 000, it is still more money.
Last scenario.
A volunterring position that has free snacks/meal or one without. Similarly, same work; same company; same place. Which would you choose?
Though volunteer work is inherently altruistic, being rewarded (even non-monetarily) is much appreciated by people who volunteer.
Time has always been valuable. This isn't new.
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In 2017, we have seen a boom in cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin peaked near the end of the year at $19 000. Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, Dash, and many other have increased in value at a crazy rate. China recently released their own cryptocurrency, Iota, and in a few short months it has surged up around 800%. However, the title of 'Currency of 2017' will still have to go to time.
What makes it the currency of 2017 is the amount of free time we have.
These recent years have seen a large surge in the amount of content we can consume. The Internet has not only exacerbated this increase in content with platforms, such as Spotify, Hulu, Netflix, but also with the rapid rise of platforms that allow for content creation, e.g. SoundCloud and YouTube because not only can users hear and watch at their own convenience, but it is much easier than ever before to create and publish content for a majority of the world to consume.
We have such large amounts of content that it is impossible to consume all of it in one lifetime. With almost 300 hours of video uploaded at Youtube every minute; with Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Netflix having thousands upon thousands of movies and TV shows at our fingertips; and with over TBs of porn streamed per minute, just in 2016, the amount of content we can consume is heavily dependent on how much time we have.
'That new Netflix show takes around 8 hours to watch the new season'
'That new album is only around 45 minutes. Play it on Apple Music.'
'I have a couple of minutes to watch that YouTube video.'
These quotes probably sound familiar. Now because the arrow of time is only moving forward, time is a true zero sum game. You might even find yourself asking the question, 'Which of the two shows should I consume now?'
'Porque no las dos?'
I can't simply choose the former, gain more time then choose the latter. And the concept of mortality gives a sense of a truly finite amount of time.
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So why 2017 and not the years before?
With 2017, more and more people have been pulling the plugs from their cable boxes because of the pre-selected programming and large amounts of advertisements taking up their time. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video are seeing a rise because of their lack of advertisements. YouTube Red is gaining steam as well, especially for the people morally obligated not to use adblockers.
We don't just see this in our entertainment platforms, but also in the types of content we consume.
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More often than not, people read reviews in forums, like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB, for movies/TV shows before actually watching it, so that they don't waste their time watching it. The rise of audiobooks and resurgence of podcasts can be accounted to the need to consume more entertainment while performing menial tasks, such as commuting laundering, or cleaning.
However, the evolution of the type of content we consume can be seen negatively. Because consumers do not want to waste their time, they are looking for shorter forms of entertainment.
In the realm of EDM, we see songs with shorter buildups and more drops becoming ubiquitous. Big room house triumphed in 2012. Trap music invaded the scene not long after, and it stayed. Trance music and progressive house are still seeing popularity, but not to the same degree as in the past.
Listen to a DJ set now. Then, compare it to the DJ sets in the 90s or 2000s. Even if it's from the same person, suhc as Afrojack. Still, I myself will take a big room house song over trance because of the structure and overall enjoyment.
This isn't only true in EDM. As Bob Dylan puts it in Chronicles: Volume 1, music is becoming faster and shorter.
I started to consume Chinese webnovels because of their quick translation schedule (as quick as 2 chapters a day) and facile perusal. However, in terms of enjoyment, I love reading them.
The need for faster turnovers and immediate gratification can also be taken past the realm of entertainment into everyday life.
Oh how I love Amazon Prime! Free shipping and my packages arrive as soon as 2 days. If you're lucky to live in certain cities, AS SOON AS 2 HOURS. I want my stuff as soon as possible, as do many others.
The cryptocurrency craze is partly because people want to make money with as short of a time as possible.
People are also becoming more and more miserly with their time, as our friend Nick. People want to use their time to work on something more productive or more enjoyable for themselves.
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So what does this mean about the future? Only time will tell (had to do it).
Even with all these negative aspects, I am still optimistic about the future.
As medicine becomes better and better, people will live longer and longer. Therefore, there will be more content for us to be able to consume, so don't be afraid to watch a movie that has terrible ratings, e.g. The Room, Taken 3, Blackhat (the last two being the only two movies I have uproariously laughed in the theaters on how terrible they were). Sit back. Have a beer with friends. And enjoy.
People are also seeing the benefits of being separated from technology from time to time. But even if you can't, the idea of quality time is important. From the Cortex podcast, Myke Hurley and CGPGrey talk abotu quality time as time where you don't worry about other responsibilities, e.g. work. I, personally, have set a rule for myself that,
"No work is to be done on Saturdays!"
Now with a new year ahead of us, I just want to tell you, don't be afraid of trying something new. A blog. A YouTube channel. A novella. Whatever really. Much like how everyone regardless of their background will die, all ideas will eventually die, but it is your choice as to whether they will die with you or go beyond. And it is here that I would like to pay respects to each and everyone's graveyard of ideas.