This is highly recommended, a series where I provide a compelling argument for why you should like something that I like.

Dear Reader,

I alone know the future of media consumption. This is not because I’m an expert in the future of media consumption. It’s because I like to make wildly outrageous claims without having any evidence to back them up. (That’s more fun (and much easier) than becoming an expert on something.)

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I’ll fill you in on the future of media consumption: (Aren’t you glad that you get this information in the form of a highly recommended blog post instead of a Ted Talk? I highly recommended never listening to a fucking Ted Talk.) smartphones. But you can’t consume media on a smartphone unless that smartphone has the appropriate amount of juice.

I highly recommend charging your phone.

Why?

Getting More Content

The future of media consumption involves consuming more media. Tbh, I rarely use my iPhone 7 Plus (old, I know) for what Alexander Steve Graham-Bell Jobs invented it for – communicating with others. I’m more likely to refresh the timeline, carefully skip over the Insta-stories of people who don’t need to know I was watching their story or stream another frustrating Minnesota Timberwolves loss. My (ever depleting) battery powers all of this. Because I wouldn’t be who I am without the content I consume.

Being Prepared

Although I alone know the future of media consumption, I have absolutely no idea what I’ll be doing on any given day. Sure, I’ll probably work out at Equinox (flex) in the morning and then go the building where they pay me to think (flex part two), but who knows what happens after that? And who knows if I’ll need my smartphone to be a part of that experience? The only way to make sure I don’t get blindsided with some night-ruining bullshit is to keep that battery percentage in the 70s or higher.

A Sense Of Completion

This probably won’t surprise you, loyal highly recommended reader, but there are quite a few projects I’ve started that I’ve never even come close to finishing. (There are quite a few highly recommended posts that live as haphazardly constructed collections of words spewn on Google Docs never to be revisited.) But when I get that battery percentage to 100%, I give myself a round of applause because I was patient and determined enough to see something all the way through until the end. (That’s also why I reward myself with a chocolate chip cookie and cheap beer every time I finish a highly recommended post.)

Knowing Where I Am

My direction awareness ain’t bad, but knowing the exact coordinates of your location at any given time can be incredibly useful. I’m assuming most of you get a certain sense of comfort from knowing where you stand. (Not in an emotional or accomplishment sense, because that would require some form of therapy more intensive than crying during episodes of the Great British Baking Show.) Sure, you can use street signs to determine location. Or even (gasp!) ask a stranger. But I want to achieve this certain sense of comfort by putting in the most minimal level of effort.

Connecting To Others

Of course I use my phone to text and call people. And of course, I truly enjoy connecting with people who I care about in a convenient and inherently digital way. I’m not a monster, just a blogger.

There’s got to be one thing you don’t like about charging your phone.

Being More Accessible

How the hell am I supposed to blog if people can just hit me up all the time? I do my best to ignore the thousands and thousands of personal messages I receive on my smartphone and stay focused on the task at hand (blogging), but it’s hard. If I let my smartphone die, my productivity can live. And when my productivity lives, we all get the content we want (to consume on our smartphones).

Since I know so much about the future of media consumption, I’m thinking about pivoting to thought leadership. But don’t worry – part of thought leadership is writing blogs about nothing that no one ever really reads, so nothing is going to change around here.

Well, I might get a little more insufferable. But I’m not entirely sure that’s even possible. Can’t wait to find out!

love,

nicholas