Who are You in the Web? (Part. 2)

The process of creating a new identity and getting attention is complicated, but being famous is not as complicated on the web. 2 years ago, a Chinese influencer was criticized for forging her looks on the web. She edited her video as a look-alike of the celebrity, and after, her real identity was revealed. She got criticized and denounced by cybercitizens. The celebrity and her fans would have felt frustrated by this incident. If a person gets the attention that they have never gotten in their life, they will forge more, which affects their mental health, and severe problems can happen. 

The web is anonymous, so no one can know others’ appearances, financial problems, social status, and jobs. On the web, people gather in groups with the same interest. Some people make friends on SNS which can be full of overestimated and ingenuine feeds. Many television programs are addressing this situation. According to OneZero, “I started watching, fully ready to judge all of the players for the way they selectively revealed themselves to each other, desperately fought for attention and affirmation, and welcomed cameras into the behind-the-scenes of their social media lives.” (Everyone Already Acts Like ‘The Circle’ Contestants on social media).

The original Netflix series, The Circle, reflects our lives on the internet. In The Circle, the man who had actual good feelings for the other woman in the account finds out that the woman was a man acting like a woman on the web. On the show, Karyn Blanco acted as the person who has a different appearance that might be understood as pretty in our society to be an influencer. And the audience writes comments to the influencer, which they would not be able to say in real. Since their real identities are not revealed, people often write negative comments about others. This can lead to mental problems, and it shows how people are pessimistic inside.