In a world where we have to deal with sharing our Snapchat username on a database and deal with scammers trying to convince us they’re real people who want to “get to know us”, it’s easy to resort to porn. If it’s not your thing, you might go look into music. Or, if you’re a very committed professional, update your LinkedIn account and keep up with debates in your area. But besides the dopamine, where’s the token of appreciation?

At least, sex work labels transactional items as tokens. Of what, one can never know. But we don’t talk about that. God forbid an innocent child turns into a cam model. She has a future as a doctor. Christian, of course. Who prohibits her patients from masturbating. You see, many scientific studies have proven that this increases mental health. Bias? Oh, what do I even know about it!

The media is too distracted. There are new names popping on every algorithmic feed. A few years ago, people were prompted to make short videos. Others resisted, investing more than ever in live streaming dedicated to news coverage, with the premise that this alone would be noble and place yourself above others. And let’s be honest, one has to wonder if that was the intention that drove this investment. All over, virality became both a WHO concern and a Hootsuite blog post theme. The work arrived for Gen Z. And they think they know what they’re doing.

But if you ask them to summarize a classic literary work, they’ll easily turn to AI, behind their screens, and type the answer ( if not copy paste) just to attempt to prove that they’re not stupid. If the reason for that kind of self-assurance is because Google made their lives easier, then I don’t know what happens next.

People write extensively, and they’re being annoying. If they do anything that might call people’s attention, like even hinting at showing a part of their bodies that may cause sexual desire (you never know, from collarbones to feet, through tits and ass), then they might drive legions of men to impulsive behavior.

These men are systematically exposed, while the quiet ones gather information and trade secrets with people who know just how to take advantage of a typical situation like that, which by now is business as usual.

The political arena is a game of accusations, sponsored by surveillance. Ideologies may, at best, grant you one of those tokens of appreciation. If many, you’re comforted to be admired, but still not rich.

Meanwhile, technology companies destroy entire industries and propose deals for potential clients to buy their digital products, for the sake of professionalism. If you want a business, the most essential step is to get access a good camera.

But as we face years of the NSA revelations coming out, what does that even mean? Debates have been ignored, themes have changed arbitrarily, but what they know about you matters more than what they’re allowed to publish. In case you’re in doubt, that means you’re never gonna get on the cover of a magazine — especially because people don’t buy that anymore (at best, OnlyFans).

You’re not famous. You just think you have an impact because you’re surrounded by stupid people who don’t even think about what they choose to like.

You’re not relevant. If you were, they would make a scandal about you, and conveniently forget to tell you.

Gossip, hearsay and especially defamation (as a cultural agency practice, never as a crime) are the norms. Success, at least the kind you’ve wanted all your life, is never gonna come. No matter how hard you try.