Enodo - research & essays.

content and validation pt. 2

In the previous chapter, two major things were established:

1. Sharing one's art, writings, poetry, or any craft in online spaces designed specifically to host the aforementioned is oftentimes done to acquire some basic validation. Validation exists on a spectrum -like many things- and in this context it tends to be harmless and subconsciously needed by most artists and writers, as it acts as a form of confirmation of one's aptitude in the artform they specialise in. It is also worth noting that in the case that's been discussed in those two chapters, validation IS NOT the driving factor of someone's inspiration and motivation to produce content, BUT the result of their hard work and consequently a gratifying outcome.

2. Self-censorship can be a negative effect attributed to the amassment of supporters and the fear of driving them away if one strays from their usual format, content or theme that helped them garner that support and validation in the first place. The encouraging thing about this phenomenon is that it STILL does not become an incentive for the acquirement of validation, but rather the activity of holding back certain levels of explicitness, and other candid details relating to opinions, values, and experiences. The opposing argument of this is that one will always find like-minded people and thus always have validating interactions but perhaps not on the same scale that neutrality provides.


After the summary of the previous chapter, we can now proceed to the more negative effects of validation that occur when one is never satisfied with the amount received to the point where they resort to completely altering their content in order to appeal to an even greater audience. Now, this I cannot say I've ever seen on Wattpad personally but rather on platforms hosting visual media such as Instagram, TikTok and Youtube. Many, content creators there have adjusted their material to what is more in demand with the biggest demographic of internet users or they rely on trends as their main source of inspiration and thus renounce the originality that contributed to their once newfound fame.

Validation is an inherent human need, and through it, humans evolve, flourish, and sometimes gain empathy. Validation most of the time happens effortlessly, without one seeking after it. We all have encounters with it daily, and sharing our innermost thoughts through various art forms is intrinsically an act of pursuing fellowship and inevitably approval. That DOES NOT diminish our need to constantly create and evolve as writers, artists, and performers, and it is certainly not the reason why one would put genuine energy and effort into something. Validation always comes last, and can only be true if the art is too. 

That also doesn't reject the idea that many people actively seek validation through many other everyday activities, and "perform" in their own way to obtain it, but this essay has been about the link between content and validation in online platforms. The former is something incredibly nuanced that we are all very familiar with one way or the other, so I don't find any particular interest in examining it as a phenomenon.

Finally, I want to add that the ideas for the essays and observations in this book are all based on my own personal experiences and struggles with each respective subject at hand and with this one as well.

Please, feel free to express your thoughts on this whether you might find yourself agreeing or not -it is always lovely to gain new perspectives through constructive conversations!