Deep Questions with Cal Newport – Episode 382

“Is the Internet Becoming Television?”
Release Date: December 8, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Cal Newport explores the provocative thesis from journalist Derek Thompson: that all digital media is converging into a form of “television.” Cal unpacks, analyzes, and expands upon Thompson’s arguments, delving into how social media, podcasts, and even AI are increasingly adopting video-driven, continuous, and algorithmically curated experiences reminiscent of traditional TV. He then offers his own nuanced take, three predictions for the future of internet-based media, and practical advice for listeners grappling with distractions and digital overload.

Main Discussion

What Does “Everything Is Television” Mean?

• Derek Thompson’s Thesis (00:22, 02:02, 09:18):
  • “A spooky convergence is happening in media. Everything that is not already television is turning into television.”
    — Derek Thompson ([00:22], [02:02])
  • “When I say everything is turning into television, what I mean is that everything is turning into the continuous flow of episodic video.”
    — Derek Thompson ([09:18])
  • Media, regardless of origins (from Facebook to AI), now trends toward endlessly streaming, non-specific, algorithmically-selected short-form video, just like TV’s ‘flow.’

Thompson’s Three Main Examples

1. The Death of Social Media as “Social” ([02:16]–[04:39])

   • Most time on Facebook (80%+) and Instagram (90%+) is now spent watching videos from strangers, not socializing.
   • Data from the Financial Times: Hours spent on social media peaked in 2022, especially declining among youth; reasons to connect and share opinions are dropping, while “following celebrities” and “filling spare time” are rising.

2. Podcasts Are Becoming TV ([04:45]–[05:11])

   • Video podcasts are growing twice as fast as audio-only ones.
   • Pressure for all podcasters (including Thompson) to add video.

3. AI-Generated Video Content ([05:11]–[06:27])

   • Tools like OpenAI’s Sora and Meta’s Vibes are producing endless, audience-tailored video streams.
   • “Even AI wants to be television.” — Derek Thompson ([05:26])
   • Cal and Jesse describe surreal AI-generated video scenarios (ASMR podcasts with Renaissance paintings, self-insert Oscar speeches, etc.).

Theoretical Framework: What Defines “Television” as a Cultural Form?

• Raymond Williams’ Concept of “Flow” ([06:46]–[08:53])
  • Before TV: Media was discrete (books, plays). TV: continuous, nonspecific, multi-modal stream (“planned flow”).
  • Williams: “This phenomenon of planned flow is… the defining characteristic of broadcasting… as a cultural form.” ([07:55])
  • Cal argues TikTok, Sora, or auto-playing YouTube replicate this flow, not serving specific content but a constant stream.

Implications and Concerns

• Is This Bad? ([13:09]–[14:08])

  • Not inherently about images or video, but when this ‘televisual grammar’ dominates all media, Thompson worries:
    1. Degrades Mental Habits: Moves us from a “culture of literacy to a culture of orality” (Walter Ong).
    2. Increases Loneliness: Classical TV was isolating (Robert Putnam, “Bowling Alone”). Phones + video = more isolation, per new data.

• Cal’s Take: Not Everything Becomes TV ([18:05]–[20:26])

  • Legacy media like books and movies continue to thrive; only internet-based media gets drawn into the “TV attractor.”
  • “The real way to state this headline would be: Internet-based media is becoming television.” ([20:14])

Why Did Internet Become “Television”?

A Perspective Shift: Economic, Not Technological Determinism
([20:31]–[27:21], [24:02]–[25:35])

• Television’s 20th-century Ubiquity
  • By the 1980s, American TVs were on >7 hours a day per household (CSM, 1985).
  • TV filled moments of boredom and downtime—a “massive, highly lucrative market” ([24:24–24:36]).
• The Role of the Internet and Smartphones
  • “The biggest economic activity in the Internet age has been building a better version of television.” ([26:01])
  • Internet and smartphones: More portable, algorithmically curated (better distraction), targeted ads.
  • Result: Entrepreneurs followed the money, building upgraded “TV” on new platforms.

Cal’s 3 Predictions for the Next “Television Age”

([28:00]–[35:43])

1. Video Is the Cost of Entry for Major Internet Media

   • Podcasts/newsletters will add video to stay relevant; podcast-video deals with Netflix/YouTube will proliferate. ([28:09]–[29:57])
   • Cal highlights his own foresight: “I insisted on video for the podcast.” ([30:16])

2. Existing Social Media Giants Will Suffer

   • Their moat was “social graphs”; as they shift to video, this advantage evaporates. Platforms become easily replicable, just TV networks competing for attention. ([30:52]–[33:01])
   • “When Internet media moves towards television… it’s a much more aggressive sort of competitive landscape.”

3. Opting Out Will Get Easier

   • As internet media resembles TV, abstention is no longer “weird”—it’s normal and increasingly valued (as with TV). ([33:09]–[35:15])
   • “It’s going to make it easier for you to live a deeper life because what you’re moving away from is going to be more clearly coded as just distraction. It’s Maury Povich.” ([35:15])

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Television seems to be the attractor of all media.”
  — Derek Thompson ([10:20])
• “Making a single radical change… might make a lot of other areas of your life worse… you add these things up and you end up net negative.”
  — Cal Newport on grand-goal vs. lifestyle-centric planning ([59:17])
• “The biggest economic activity in the Internet age has been building a better version of television.” ([26:01])
• “Be the change you want to see in the world… Demonstrate life without it so they see it going on in you.” ([54:13])

Listener Q&A & Case Study Highlights

Managing Web Distractions as a Programmer

([38:32]–[43:52])

• Use AI tools (like Claude app) integrated into workflow to avoid browser distractions.
• Core takeaway: Avoiding distraction is easier with time-block planning—when you define when and what to focus on, you’re less likely to let your mind wander.

Productivity in High-interruption Jobs

([44:03]–[47:19])

• For automation engineers or similar roles, constant interruptions are “the job.”
• The key is intention over completion: keep adapting your time-blocks without resentment, always planning for “what can I do now?”

Media Consumption Overwhelm

([47:31]–[49:16])

• Don’t stress about creating perfect lists of what to read/watch. As long as you’re regularly engaging with interesting content, you’re doing fine.

Dealing with Family’s Screen Habits

([52:50]–[54:41])

• You can’t force change; model alternate behaviors and later share recommendations, but don’t judge or lecture.

Case Study: Deep Life Pitfall—Grand Goal vs. Lifestyle Planning

([56:11]–[63:08])

• Listener “Jeff” describes failing to find satisfaction through “grand goals” (prestige jobs, passion pursuits), and ultimately discovers contentment by designing his day-to-day routine around values—reading, family, exercise.

Book Segment: Five Books Cal Read in November

Grouped by Theme:

• Disney/Biz:
  • Realityland by David Cohen
  • Becoming Mary Poppins by Todd James Pierce
• Religion/Philosophy:
  • What Is the Bible? by Rob Bell
  • Tradition in an Untraditional Age by Jonathan Sacks
• Culture:
  • Notes on Being a Man by Scott Galloway

Cal discusses his continuing “Thriller December” tradition—planning to (re)read Michael Crichton's Airframe and other thrillers.

Memorable and Lighthearted Moments

• Cal jokes about “knocking phones out of relatives’ hands yelling deep work and running out of the room” ([53:11]).
• Banter about video podcasts, TV technology, and children breaking TVs on Black Friday ([36:00–38:10]).
• Humorous remarks on Michael Crichton’s career: “After 1994, almost every Michael Crichton book involved, at some point—usually in incongruous ways—dinosaurs.” ([76:02])

TL;DR: Key Takeaways

• Media is converging toward TV-like, continuous, algorithmically-curated video.
• Legacy media (books, movies) persists, but internet-based media is caught in the “television attractor.”
• This trend is driven by economic (not technological) incentives—“follow the TV money.”
• Expect more video in all major internet content, social platforms to burn off their old advantages, and for it to become easier (and less “weird”) to opt out.
• The “deep life” is more possible than ever—if you choose intentional engagement with media and design your daily routine with care.

For more on creating focus and depth in a distracted world, check out Cal Newport’s newsletter at calnewport.com.