Jan 21, 2026

When I read a blog post I love, I usually find my favorite part of it to quote in a short post on my own blog. Sometimes I can’t find a single excerpt that fits, so I turn it into a full blog post and add more commentary. Such is the case with this fantastic essay by Om Malik:

What matters now is how fast something moves through the network: how quickly it is clicked, shared, quoted, replied to, remixed, and replaced. In a system tuned for speed, authority is ornamental. The network rewards motion first and judgment later, if ever. Perhaps that’s why you feel you can’t discern between truths, half-truths, and lies.

Om doesn’t focus on ad-based platforms, but I think the incentives are similar. Meta is fine with rushing us through an algorithmic feed because there is no end. The more engaged we are, the more ads we see.

We built systems that reward acceleration, then act surprised when everything feels rushed, shallow, and slightly manic. People do what the network rewards. Writers write for the feed. Photographers shoot for the scroll. Newsrooms frame stories as conflict because conflict travels faster than nuance.

We should slow down in 2026. Take more time to read longer posts. Full stories, not headlines. This is why when I cancelled all of my news subscriptions, I kept only The New Yorker. Longer, thoughtful posts that I read once a week instead of all the time.

AI will bring us infinite content, with a velocity that humans can’t match. It will be noise, overwhelming. Then we will become numb to it. The only antidote is authenticity. Knowing that what you’re reading is coming from a real human with their own perspective, their own strengths and flaws, because you’ve followed them for years.