Public Internet Theatrics

The public internet can be a theatrical stage. Most people know that content creators or influencers will usually adopt a fake persona that caters to their audiences, yet we rarely shine a light on code-switching and how people change their tone to suit a specific audience. With every public post, there is an audience, and some of these actors will tactically analyze and appeal to them for their own benefit.¹⁾

As a consequence, people have gradually forgot that the internet used to be this escape or third place. Status updates never needed coherency or ulterior motives. They were just inconsequential bits and pieces from one's personal life, but the internet becoming theatrified has created this situation where malicious actors will read too much into it²⁾ and turn it into a spectacle when nobody asked.

It brings us to a cold and harsh reality where “strangers do not need unlimited access to your personal life” is standard internet safety advice. However, we rarely talk about how this meant that posts that genuinely brought your personhood out (e.g. sincere emotions, vulnerability) have to either be: bottled up, relegated to a private account or a Discord channel, shat into the anonymous void, etc. And that's kinda sad.

This goes into why I tend to prefer having 'one-on-one' conversations, as it's a direct discussion with minimal interference and *much* more productive. I understand why some prefer groups, but there are just so many variables, even if you have the networks mapped out, that you never truly know who is code-switching or being true to themselves.³⁾ Eventually, you just realize: I am too fucking old for this shit.

musings

¹⁾

This especially holds true in anonymous communities where almost every thread is manipulable as long as the staff allows it. The audience is the only constant, so your 'options' are to: play the game, shit up the thread so onlookers gloss over it (i.e. exploit the 'oldest replies first' format), or refuse to play the game.

²⁾

I've seen people point to my personal posts about masturbating or unearth old posts about 'some sad shit that I forgot about after getting some sleep' to feel good about themselves or discredit me. I might make a mental note, but I usually don't care or believe that it's not worth dignifying with a reply. If I was forced to reply, then I'd probably say that it says a lot more about how that person views other people, doesn't it?

³⁾

Of course, this isn't saying that code-switching is 'bad', as I personally love to see and use it myself, but I'm also wary that not being true to yourself can possibly result in some form of impostor syndrome.