How to find meaning in paying for content in an age overflowing with free content.

In this modern age, there are many social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and X, and there are also plenty of legitimate video sites where you can watch anime and movies for free.

I suddenly found myself thinking about how to find meaning in paying money to consume content in such an era.

The first thing that came to mind was that it's important to feel I want to buy from this person.

If you look for similar products, you can certainly find as many as you want. But it's important to feel that even if it's expensive, you want to buy it from this specific person.

What we call oshi culture today—the ability to make people think they want to buy this person's product—is what makes the difference.

Next, I thought about getting serious. For example, when comparing watching content for free versus paying for it, which one do you watch more seriously? It's definitely when you pay for it. Humans are creatures who don't want to lose out, so the more they pay, the more seriously they try to absorb and savor the content.

Conversely, if you want to get serious about something, it's a good idea to pay money in that field. I feel that 'oshi culture' also involves both sunk costs and a sense of being serious.

If you want to train your body, you intentionally sign up for a gym. If you want to become a singer, you intentionally go to vocal training. If you want to become better at cooking, you intentionally go to a cooking class.

It's true that there is plenty of content you can learn from for free, and I think that's enough.

However, in a world overflowing with free things, the desire not to lose out can dull your seriousness, which is a waste in terms of life.

To spend your time more deeply—learning, experiencing, and savoring—trying to pay for things that you feel are 'only here' or 'only from this person' might be the trigger to discover new strengths within yourself.

What kind of things do you find value in and pay for? Please let me know if you'd like!

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