Awakening to the Blob: How The Media Mediates Our Lives
This was a really interesting read, because it's a question I've found myself thinking about a lot: that feeling of always needing to be "on display" that comes with modern-day social media. However, I don't think I fully agree with the "doomerist" tone this article ended up having. Sure, we can make it sound incredibly bleak that humans like to show ourselves off to our peers, but aren't we social creatures? The framing of wanting attention as something negative really strikes me the wrong way. Life is a long performance in a lot of ways! That's not a bad thing, I think. I find wanting to create lasting memories and share our successes to be something deeply... cute? about humans.
That's not to say that there's no point to what the article brings up. I think that some performances ought to be private, if that makes sense, and others ought to remain off-screen. I don't want to be recorded on the bus. I don't need to make myself into a brand. But I do think I'll always perform, because I am human and I have friends. Anyway, the book that's being spoken about sounds very interesting and I may find myself reading it someday. We'll see! The article was generally thought-provoking even if it didn't sit perfectly with me. I reccomend giving it a read!