TH/NK 99 PRESENTS
DYSTOPIA
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T H / N K 99 is a future thinking platform exploring maven culture and consumer behaviour. Created for creatives, T H / N K 99 focuses on innovative content aimed to inspire and engage the most conceptual thinkers world wide. To find out more visit: www.think-99.com Instagram: @think99_
Hello.
A Conceptual magazine for the occasional thinker.
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T H / N K 99 presents Dystopia Autumn Winter 2015-2016
We are living through a crisis of attention. Our identities are blurring, our communication is changing and we are losing sight of the idea of contentment. We are in transition, we are mutating.
We are entering Dystopia.
The Silicon Revolution
Humans are increasingly living in a virtual reality of their own making and whilst this has created an immense sense of empowerment, it has also created a sense of disconnection forcing us to become more isolated than ever before. We are now living through a crisis of attention. Our identities are blurring, our communication is changing and we are beginning to deprive ourselves of the idea of contentment. We are in transition, we are mutating. We are entering Dystopia.
The emergence of our distorted identities and this non conscious algorithm of Artificial Intelligence has the potential to create a world disruption, possibly leading to a third world war. However unlike past feuds, this will not be a war of blood, death and terror this will be the Silicon Revolution, a war between the technological and the physical and whatever the hell in between.
Every last bit of our online and offline self colonised. It is time to take back what is left of humanity before the Silicon Revolution replaces us completely. It is time to reconnect with our emotion and counterbalance our online and offline identity. It is to stop focusing on aesthetics and instead focus on how to be human. For we are not just cogs working tirelessly as part of a machine and we are not just slaves boxed up in an office. We are the conscious beings- alive, communal, dynamic and free and the Silicon Revolution will not take that away from us.
Yet.
Dystopian Brainspill
Autumn Winter 2015-2016
Our offline identities are slowly becoming overlooked. We are becoming the two faced generation ruled by our ultra modern, ultra advanced counterparts. Whilst we pin, post and upload our way to online perfection our offline identities are disintegrating into thin air. As this battle of the online/offline personality convergence takes place, a new non conscious intelligence has crept into existence. One, said to be even more intelligent than humanity has begun to revolutionise the world we live in. A non-conscious algorithm that can solve problems, hold conversations, fight war and diagnose disease. And at this current moment, we are unable to comprehend its power.
It will try to seize what is left of your confused identity, storing your personal information and reading your mind. It will release an increase in dopamine levels causing psychological addiction and compulsive obsession. You will become trapped in the cycle of consumerism, every last second of your attention span taken under arrest. Your mind will become overwhelmed with Advertisements and Celebrity Culture until eventually you will be starved of all other knowledge. It will battery farm humanity and trap us between Office Walls. It will destroy our language, replacing real emotion with emoticon symbols and computerised memes. It will discourage empathy and the only goal we will have in life is to be rich, thin and Internet famous.
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DI SC . . .
ONN EC TI
ON
I am not a freak
The next day, I have a basis for awkward small talk. I am not a freak. After all.
Dystopian Brainspill
Autumn Winter 2015/16
We are becoming more alike. Opening a book by Orwell, I try to read a page of his literary criticism. After a few lines I slouch in the chair. After a few pages, I start to think about what I had for lunch. My attention turned to Distraction. It is Saturday night after all. I turn on the television. X Factor. An experience to share with 232 million of my closest friends.
We are becoming more alike. Opening my journal, I try to write about my week. After an unfinished sentence I pause And swipe the screen to unlock my mobile. Two sentences in and I’ve forgotten what I was going to write My attention turned to Distraction. It is a Sunday Morning after all. I open Instagram. Filter and Upload. An experience to share with 300 million of my closest friends. The next day, I have a basis for awkward small talk. I am not a freak. After all.
Dystopian Brainspill
I am not a freak
The next day, I have a basis for awkward small talk. I am not a freak. After all.
Autumn Winter 2015/16
We are becoming more alike. I wake suddenly to the sound of the alarm. I stir my second black coffee, and stare blank. My attention has turned to distraction. It is a Monday morning after all. Another week of work 9-5. Complain. Eat. Sleep. An experience to share with 1.44 billion of my closest friends.
GIVE US YEEZYS
GIVE US FOOD
THE LIFE OR D EATH STRUGGLE
It is now important for brands to build a ‘tribe’. This tribe is made up of a group of people who do not just love a brand they would die for it. Society is now becoming unofficial brand ambassadors and unsubconciously we are letting them control every last bit of our fragmented identities. Opposite: Above: Yeezy 350 Trainers (2015) Below: Syrian Refugee Stories World Vision (2015)
Right: Starving Syrians queuing in Damascus to recieve food and supplies. (2015)
Previous Left: Hundreds of South Africans queuing outside of AREA3 in Braamfontein to be amongst the first in the country to own a pair of Yeezy 350 boots. (2015)
Autumn Winter 2015-2016
Autumn Winter 2015/16
Crisis of Aesthetics
Dystopian Brainspill
2015-2016
The trouble is we are binging. Binge watching Netflix series on our fifty inch flat screen smart TVs, whilst binging takeaway food, cheap alcohol and cigarettes. Binging on the latest Celebrity/Brand clothing collaborations to later brag about it to strangers on the internet. Binging on recognition, through ‘comments’’ and ‘likes’ by curating an online ideal to optimise our social status.
The Lost Generation
Then when we are done with binging, the trouble is feeling dissatisfied. Dissatisfied with our underpaid wage from our monotonous part time job. Dissatisfied with our ability to get passed level eight hundred and seventy-four of Candy Crush in five measly lives. Dissatisfied that you do not own the latest iPhone, even though you know you can not afford it.
Then when we are done with dissatisfaction, the trouble is finding ourselves. But ironically those who go out to find themselves end up losing themselves even more than they knew was possible. We put up with our monotonous part time jobs to fund a trip of our lifetimes to lose three quarters of the experience to a selfie stick. Timestamping and broadcasting our every movement, we lose that exhilarating sense of adventure to Sat Nav’s and Google Maps. We climb mountains, we shark dive and we bungee jump, but we are so caught up in our Go Pro footage to even remember the experience and the spectacular views.
The trouble is we are the lost generation. We are the sheep society. Documenting our lives to look good online. We attend Festivals to appear cultured, we decorate our homes to look Pinterest worthy and we take part in extreme experiences to prove to nobody our lives or not boring. We watch whatever TV programme is being discussed online, we buy clothes to look like those we are jealous of and we travel because we don’t know what else to do with our lives.
Dystopian Brainspill
Surely there is more to life than a pristine, all-white bedroom, non-dairy lattes every morning and a collection of well-looked after cacti
- Victoria Buchanan
Dystopian Brainspill
That’s so Pinterest
2015-2016
2,357 Likes
Essentials
Autumn Winter 2015/16
3,576 Likes
Dystopian Brainspill
Essentials
2015-2016
BUY SHIT
BUY SHIT
BUY SHIT
BUY SHIT
BUY SHIT
BUY SHIT
BUY SHIT
B S
BUY SHIT
BUY SHIT BUY SHIT
BUY SHIT
BUY SHIT
BUY SHIT
“Communication is changing as are our behaviours, some even argue our behaviours are changing faster than the systems around us. This is an evident source of tension in the world: the clash of the old and new; the traditional and the modern; the digital and the analogue. We’re in transition. We are infact mutating. We are on the cusp of a mutation of humanity as we transition from being biologically natural to a multispecies, multi-gender, multi-skilled, multi-purpose, hybrid of organism and computerisation.” ‘Extract from ‘The Future of Brands in a Post Human World’ Report 2015
Dystopian Brainspill
Autumn Winter 2015-2016
The Clash of the old and new
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My thoughts have been replaced by Justin Bieber lyrics and sarcastic memes
LOL YOLO
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I wanted a Michael Kors watch for Christmas but all I got was a Spiralizer #wtf
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‘Tears of Joy’ Emoji Oxford Dictionairies word of the year 2015
“And then he said omg crying face laughing laughing laughing laughing so funny angel face.” - Overheard on the bus
Our communication is increasingly growing more artificial than ever before. Today, verbal and textual language is commonly intertwined. This language progression is the result of living in a humanmachine hybrid world.
The unfortunate evolution of language
On Fleek: On point “Those eyebrows are on fleek”
Autumn Winter 2015/16
Bae: ‘Before anyone else’ or synonym for ‘baby’ (FYI: In danish Bae means poop) “Harry Styles is my bae” Netflix and Chill: Code for casual sex “Wanna come over for Netflix and Chill.” Basic: Someone interested in commercial things “All Amy drinks is Starbucks. That bitch is basic.” Aesthetic: A word stolen by hipsters in 2015 “Your aesthetic is so tumblr.” Ship: A word used to describe fan fiction pairings “I ship Holly and Philip”
Dystopian Brainspill
The unfortunate evolution of language
Cheeky Nandos: Literally no explanation “Going for a cheeky nandos” #squadgoals: Inspirational term for what you’d like your friends to accomplish “Victoria Secret Models #squadgoals”
Slay: Killing it “Gurl you are slaying” Feels: A wave of emotion “Game of Thrones is giving me feels” YAAAS: Because simply saying ‘yes’ isn’t enough “Work it girl. YAAAS”
2015-2016
Netflix and Chill: Code for casual sex “Wanna come over for Netflix and Chill.”
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Opposite: Street Art by Plastic Jesus. A Los Angeles based Artist that specialises in bold stencil and installation work, inspired by world events, society, the urban environment, culture and politics.
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YOU MAY BE TALENTED BUT YOU ARE NOT KANYE WEST
- KANYE WEST
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Drowning in infomation Starved for knowledge
2015-2016
Dear Child
Dear my darling child, Today I watched from the kitchen window as you played in the garden, humming a high pitched made up tune. You could have stayed there all day, talking to your favourite teddy bear, not a care in the world. Your untarnished mind so happy and pure. Whilst it filled me with joy that I had produced such a free spirited being, that was soon overturned with a feeling of anxiety. Anxious because I knew that one day that sense of imagination and that care free play would disappear. Because in 10 years time you will have responsibilities. You will get a job and you will look for a purpose and that creative mind of yours will become disillusioned by technology, seized by the media and brainwashed by capitalism.
Your mind will be over ran by auto tuned pop music and social platforms will dissolve your long time friendships. The media will control your opinions and the politicians will teach you how to hate. You will hear of war and destruction and become immune to insidious crime. You will find yourself surrounded by preoccupied bodies. All with no time to notice you are there. Disconnection will become a normality. And your own company will become your most favoured friend of all. Please Darling, don’t grow up for it is a money grabbing, soul draining, media controlled trap.
Dystopian Brainspill
Autumn Winter 2015/16
In ten years time you will be programmed to consume. You will overwork yourself to earn more money to buy more things to impress more people. You will glue yourself to your digital devices and drown yourself in information. And then I bet you will stop thinking because you will realise google can do that for you.
Dystopian Brainspill
Autumn Winter 2015/16
2015-2016
Ex Instagram Star, Essena Oneill
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THE BREAKING POINT
“Human beings are capable of so much more than gossip, cool pictures and ironic captions. Let’s talk about real things happening globally that matter. Love the people around you and don’t live in your phone, that’s all my point is.” - Essena Oneill
Dystopian Brainspill The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, I’s Blitz CD Cover 2009
Autumn Winter 2015/16
The Breaking Point
Dystopian Brainspill
The Breaking Point
2015-2016
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Goodbye.
www.think_99.com Instagram: @think99_