Digital media consumes a significant amount of our time. It’s the combination of video games, music, TV, and other forms of online content. Just decades ago, digital media was almost non-existent, but today, worldwide digital media revenue stands at $331.8 billion and is expected to grow to $493.3 billion by 2027, according to Statista. Human consumption is the basis of the entire market. The top three digital media markets of the world consist of the United States, China, and Europe. The digital media market in the United States generated $104.3 billion in revenue in 2022. China’s digital media market ranks second in the world, yielding a revenue of $67.3 billion in 2022. In Europe, the digital media market is worth $53.8 billion as of 2022. America’s market is expected to continue strong, growing to $149.1 billion by 2027. That means human consumption is expected to rise. Devouring online content is clearly an immensely profitable market. How does this never-ending idea of instant entertainment affect the consumer? There is no true answer to that question because this level of intake has only just recently begun. But concerns exist as it pertains to the addictive nature of digital media. Last week, Arkansas filed lawsuits against TikTok and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Arkansas officials claim that social media platforms use deceptive tactics, such as “algorithms that are addictive to adolescents and are rewiring how our children think, feel and behave,” Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said. He added that the companies hide “the nature of their products in pursuit of profits and growth.” Whether people’s minds are dependent on video games, social media, TV, or any other temporary satisfaction, it’s true that we have become a society that bases everything on instant gratification instead of real significance. This natural progression has paved the way for technological additions. SEE ALSO: LAZINESS IS CANCER “We have to hold Big Tech companies accountable for pushing addictive platforms on our kids and exposing them to a world of inappropriate, damaging content,” Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday when announcing the lawsuits. How can we truly be self-governing citizens if we are reliant upon technology at almost every hour of the day? In order to thwart such an unproductive lifestyle, society must become aware that companies are intentionally working to captivate customers for life using psychologically addictive techniques.
