Public Internet Theatrics

The public internet is a theatrical stage that people either underestimate or overestimate. Most people are aware that a content creator or an influencer will, sometimes, adopt a fake persona for their audience. However, theatrics can actually occur anywhere on the public internet. With every public post or thread, there is an audience and, sometimes, the actors may tactfully analyze and appeal to them.¹⁾

Of course, a problem with this line of thinking is that it ignores status updates, personal posts that have no ulterior motives attached. Some people simply want to post what is on their mind, whether it be coherent, incoherent, esoteric, or outright silly, but refrain from doing so on the public internet because people can be animals or malicious actors may try to read too much into it.²⁾

As a result, these kinds of posts are forced to take up refuge in a private account, a private blog, a random thread in the anonymous void, a specific Discord channel, and so on. It's honestly a damn shame! All the posts where our personhood is brought out (e.g. moments of weakness, anger, lust, etc.) have to be stashed away because some jackass tries to turn it into a performance or spectacle when nobody asked.³⁾

This goes into why I tend to prefer 'one-on-one' conversations, because it's a direct discussion with minimal interference and tends to be more productive. None of this group conversation bullshit where you have to consider who else is present⁴⁾ and whether the person you're speaking to is being true to themselves or has been code-switching the entire time.⁵⁾ I am too fucking old for this shit.

musings

¹⁾

This especially holds true in anonymous communities where 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⁾

Then again, it's worth noting that total strangers don't need to have unlimited access to your personal life.

⁴⁾

For instance, you cannot have a productive conversation if you talk about abuse with the abuser in the room, talk about manipulation with the manipulator in the room (or suspecting this exact talk may happen), or lecture when the recipient is code-switching in front of their so-called 'friends'.

⁵⁾

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.