The Real John Carter Is More Interesting Than the Fictional One
“Let us cherish and love old age; for it is full of pleasure if one knows how to use it. Fruits are most welcome when almost over; youth is most charming at its close; the last drink delights the toper, the glass which souses him and puts the finishing touch on his drunkenness. Each pleasure reserves to the end the greatest delights which it contains. Life is most delightful when it is on the downward slope, but has not yet reached the abrupt decline.” –Seneca
They keep asking him about Instagram at the end, and are amused that he doesn’t know what they’re talking about. They can’t seem to grok that Instagram is the opposite of his life. The awful trick that social media plays on the unwary is to make them think they’re producing something. In practice, almost everyone is a consumer. It’s multi-level marketing, not media. There’s nothing wrong with being a consumer, and consuming media is no exception. However, if you confuse consumption for production, you’ll end up selling soap to your family members and going to meetings. Why not go to the pool with John instead? Stand next to him, and you’ll end up on Instagram anyway.