“We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning,” Jean Baudrillard once wrote.

The French cultural theorist spent his career exploring the endless abyss of information and how we might find meaning in it. While he wrote through the rise of television and the early days of the modern internet, his ideas on media, culture, and technology well today, in particular, those on information overload, the “real” and what’s “hyperreal”.

Key themes that run through Baudrillard’s work include:

• Information Overload: We constantly receive news updates, social media notifications, emails, and more. The sheer volume of information can be overwhelming. For instance, consider how often headlines change on news websites or how many posts appear in your social media feeds daily. This relentless stream of content can make it difficult to discern what is truly important or relevant.
• The Simulacrum: Baudrillard was famous for his concept of “simulacra,” which refers to copies or representations of things that either never had an original or no longer have a clear link to reality. In today’s context, think about the way reality TV or social media typically presents a stylized, curated version of life, leading to a blending of reality and representation that can blur our understanding of what is authentic or meaningful.
• Hyperreality: This term describes a condition where the distinction between reality and simulation becomes indistinguishable. A great example is virtual reality experiences or even online interactions, where users can create identities or narratives that might have little to do with their actual lives. This can result in a distorted perception of meaning, where navigating between the real and the simulated becomes challenging.
• The Loss of Context: As we consume bits of decontextualized information, it can be difficult to piece together a coherent understanding. For example, reading about a complex geopolitical conflict through short-form news clips or social media can make grasping the intricacies and historical context challenging, leading to a superficial understanding.
• The Attention Economy: Platforms and advertisers compete for user attention, often valuing sensationalism or entertainment over depth and accuracy. The result is that we become more engaged with content that grabs our attention effectively, regardless of its depth or educational value. This frequently contributes to an erosion of meaning as we prioritize clickbait over in-depth analysis.

The audio above is from a lecture series called “The Self Under Siege: Philosophy in the Twentieth Century,” by the American philosopher Rick Roderick. His ideas and explanations are brought to life by the wonderful illustrations of Mark Wooding.