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Emerging from Creative Hell
Slow Media
- Emerging from Creative Hell is a piece discussing Slow Media and its significance in the upcoming content and marketing landscape.
- I recommend reading through this if you are somebody that creates content online, works in content marketing, or has an interest in societal trends.
- To learn more about the author, please visit his homepage here.
Before you understand a solution, you must first understand the problem it is fixing. In this case, before I discuss Slow Media, I must first discuss the concept of Digital Fatigue.
Digital Fatigue, similar to Media Fatigue, is exhaustion due to an overwhelming amount of time spent in fast-paced digital-first environments. Digital Fatigue expands upon Media Fatigue to include not just time spent consuming media, but also the use of digital tools in the workplace or in other ways.
The rise of Digital Fatigue can be attributed to many factors, including the prevalence of social media, fast-paced information cycles, and expectations for being “always on,” either professionally or socially. This exhaustion is affecting some age groups more than others, with Deloitte finding that 37% of adults aged 18-40 feeling overwhelmed by managing their devices and subscriptions, compared to 23% of adults aged 41 and older.1
Effects of this fatigue are already being seen. The same Deloitte study finds that the average amount of household devices is down to 21 from 25 in 2021 - just 4 years ago. The number of devices are dropping, and people want their screen time to reduce significantly, as well. 81% of Gen Z adults and 78% of Millennials want to disconnect from their devices more easily, and the sentiment even extends to Gen X and Baby Boomers.2
In a time when 60% of employees feel expected to be available after work hours,3 their lives feel more fast-paced than ever. This amount of information absorption is unprecedented in human history. The added stress is causing people to consider changes to their lifestyles and habits, with search terms like “digital detox ideas” and “digital detox vision boards” trending by upwards of 273%.4
There are well-being concerns that come into play when exploring Digital Fatigue - concerns that I am not equipped to address. The area that I am equipped to address, however, is how content and advertising play a role in this subject. When people are looking into how to reduce their screen hours and detox their digital habits, this will lead to a change in content interaction by these audiences.
In this time of rising Digital Fatigue, you can contribute to the exhaustion, or you can take a step back. Next: Slow Media.
1 https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/telecommunications/connectivity-mobile-trends-survey/2023/connected-consumers-digital-fatigue.html
2 https://www.emarketer.com/content/gen-z--millennials-feeling-digital-fatigue
3 https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2025/10/04/digital-tool-fatigue-eroding-mental-health-and-career-productivity/
4 https://newsroom.pinterest.com/en-gb/news/the-2025-pinterest-summer-trend-report/