Reading as Social Option Value

People read not only to learn but to build optional future relationships with authors (network capital). If content becomes anonymous or machine‑generated, that latent social value collapses, changing incentives for what people choose to read and for authors to produce writing that signals identity. This shift could hollow cultural gatekeeping and reduce opportunities for networking that historically flow through authorship. — If AI removes the 'meeting the author' option, attention markets, cultural status signals, and professional networks will adjust in ways that matter for careers, cultural authority, and platform incentives.