Thirst Trap
Endurance, Connection & Capitalism.
I’m about to turn 27, and my hair is thinning. It’s a lovely blonde colour, but my hairline is looking more and more like Preikestolen in Norway. It’s not bad, but it’s started. I went four years with a shaved head because, honestly, it was refreshing to not have to think about it. But now I’ve grown it back, and I’m kind of attached to it. It’s weird how these small things - your appearance, your identity - become tethered to your sense of self. And maybe as a reflection of my monk-like ways I'm sad because of my attachment.
But here’s the thing: this has got me thinking about the big clock. I’m terrified my time is running out, dramatic, I know. The looming threat of existential dread has been creeping up on me, a constant hum in the background. This is especially true since I’ve started facing the reality of Alzheimer’s Disease. I've had family members suffer from it, and I’ve seen the devastating effects it can have. Watching someone slowly forget who they are, who you are, has made it feel so much more real to me. And that dread became even more real after pushing myself in our Alzheimer's fundraiser. The thought that I could one day forget all of this terrifies me. But, it also motivates me to give less of a fuck than ever before. (Actually, I’m giving more of a fuck than I ever have, but that doesn’t sound as cool to say, does it? “Oh yeah I’m actually deeply caring” ok, loser).
Everything is getting more expensive, and instead of that exponential growth in pay I kept hearing about in uni, I’m seeing an exponential decline compared to my time being alive. And with the reality of AI (of which I’m embracing full force) taking our jobs, the future feels so opaque. It’s unsettling. I’m left wondering - what the fuck is all this for?
I read a lot. Like, all the time. On the tube, in the gym, while I sleep. And while I tell everyone it’s because I love consuming information, the truth is I’m wildly dyslexic. I re-listen to audiobooks on a continuous loop, trying to absorb every single drop.
One book has opened my eyes to just how much we're trapped in the systems we’ve created, and led me down a rabbit hole on the topic of risk, is The Trading Game by Gary Stevenson - It talks about the way people perceive risk and reward. It’s about the psychology of trading and how people work, but what struck me most was how much we’re conditioned to chase fleeting rewards. It made me realise how many of us are running in circles, desperately searching for the next big thing to fill a void. Myself included.
But as a stark contrast, there’s Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman - this book is a breath of fresh air. It’s about human nature, and how, despite the bleak narratives we’re fed, people are fundamentally good. It gave me some hope, but it also made me realise how far our systems are from actually fostering human connection.
Okay, so now you know my hair is thinning, I’m dealing with existential dread, and I’ve got a ‘learning disability.’ Why would you read anything from me? I don’t know, but you’re probably wondering what the title of this article is alluding to, so keep going.
There are just so many world issues, what am I going to do about it?
I’m going to become more human. The only thing I can do.
Everything happening in the world is starving us of humanity. People are literally begging for any drop of real interaction. You see it everywhere, people are even joining run clubs (shout out to the Runner Beans in Greenwich, my home team).
Stats from McKinsey show that people are spending more and more time online, with online video now accounting for about 70% of global internet traffic, and it’s projected to exceed 80% by 2030. This digital immersion is contributing to a decline in IRL interactions, as people increasingly turn to digital-only relationships. This shift is leaving people feeling more disconnected from each other, and we all know polarisation is the key to, well literally anything in the western world. Sorry are we not meant to say that out loud?
And to double down on this point, research shows that a growing number of Gen Z are abstaining from sexual activity altogether, a crucial part of the human experience. In fact, 30% of Gen Z males and 25% of females aged 18–25 reported having no sexual activity in the past year. This trend is an increase from previous generations.
This lack of human connection is leading me to believe there’s a gap in the market. Something businesses aren’t tapping into enough. And if you’re sitting there thinking, “Yeah, Robbie, we know this already,” well, you’re not doing it well enough.
People want people.
People want human connection.
That’s why parasocial relationship platforms continue to thrive (TikTok, Twitch, OnlyFans, etc…). Now combine an adult content creator with their SWF social platform, and you’ve entered the casino of profitable parasocial relationships.
I’m not advocating for this, but taking it as a lesson in our drought of connection. This isn’t about what brands are doing wrong, it’s about what’s missing. There aren’t enough brands making human connection the product.
Now, call me a psychopath or a consultant, but if you want to create a morally questionable-extremely-lucrative business, build a brand that’s value is inherently linked to human connection post-social platform rejection.
Maybe thats exploitative (it is) but so is every business that turns a profit.
So taking all of this into account, I’m going to fill that gap in the market, by being human as fuck.
There’s the guy who’s recently gone viral for completely flipping his life upside down. Oliver Widger, a man from Oregon, took off on a solo sailing adventure to Hawaii after a spine diagnosis left him wondering if he’d ever walk again. He quit his job, emptied his 401(k), and took off into the Pacific Ocean, facing storms, sail repairs, and terrifying rudder failures. And as he battles the waves, he’s gained nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok and over 700,000 on Instagram. The man is literally battling for his life at sea, and at the same time, he’s inspiring millions. He’s living life as hard as he can until he can’t. And why? Because life as it was - climbing the corporate ladder, striving for an idealised future - felt empty. And yet, this man is living the dream of countless others, by simply choosing to live for the moment
Now, I like my job, in fact, I love marketing. So my plan is different, alongside my job, I’m going to suffer through the most extreme endurance challenges I can, pushing myself to the deepest corners of my brain in moments of darkness and in states of hypoglycemia, in a mission to try work out who I am… and I’m going to market the absolute fuck out of it.
Thirsty people.