It might have started as a social network of friends, but the social Internet has become a performative art since then.
The concept of “followers” and “subscribers” is another way of saying “audience,” and by sharing carefully crafted words, a handful of shared links, and artistically snapped photos and videos, what we’re doing is essentially performing for this audience.
When we go online, we are programmed to react to engagement triggers — likes, shares, retweets, hearts, and thumb-ups. Social and this addiction of audience have made us addicted to something even harder to give up once tasted: a constant feeling of self-importance.
Malik, O. (2021). Can we ever become Post-Social?
I’ve been struggling with this issue for years. How do I maintain an independent online presence that enables me to relate with others, without becoming an unpaid performance artist for social media platforms?
I’m still not sure how it would work but after a brief dalliance with Facebook (after having checked out more than 10 years ago), I’m even more convinced that Facebook – and other social media platforms – cannot be the solution to our need for human connection.