TIME sells filler-word coaching as lifestyle content

TIME has published a how-to guide on eliminating “filler words” like “um” and “like,” a small but revealing artifact of how legacy outlets increasingly monetize self-improvement rather than news.

In the article, TIME frames filler words as a “perception problem” and offers a checklist of fixes: record yourself speaking, ask friends for feedback, slow down, breathe deliberately, rehearse phrases out loud, and get comfortable with silence. The piece even argues that “um” has a “surprisingly useful life,” acknowledging that these verbal tics can serve cognitive and conversational functions—before circling back to the social reality that audiences still judge speakers for them.

None of this is wrong. It’s just telling. When a publication historically associated with politics and national affairs starts packaging speech coaching, it’s not because the English language suddenly became an emergency. It’s because the business model did.

As ad markets fragment and real news becomes a commodity—copied, summarized, and algorithmically surfaced within minutes—publishers hunt for content that is evergreen, search-friendly, and psychologically sticky. “Stop saying um” is not journalism; it’s a product designed to capture anxious professionals who suspect their careers are being decided by vibes.

The market for status is thriving precisely because modern institutions are opaque. In a world where advancement depends on rituals (presentation polish, meeting performance, “executive presence”), people rationally buy guidance—often from the same class of organizations that helped build the prestige maze in the first place.

TIME’s advice also illustrates a broader cultural shift: speech is treated less as communication and more as compliance with an unwritten social scoring system. The point is not clarity; it’s signaling competence to gatekeepers.

If this feels like a detour for a news brand, it’s because it is. But it’s also a map. When news can’t pay for itself, the outlet sells something adjacent: confidence, etiquette, and self-optimization—content that flatters the reader by implying they’re one tweak away from the next rung. “Um” is merely the unit of monetization.