expressions of enjoyment in the social media age
I don't know how other people feel about this, but personally.. every time I write online in a public space, like this blog or elsewhere where many strangers can see about things I enjoy, I immediately become aware of the fact that I could sound like I was paid to do that.
I struggle to express my happiness about a thing in a way that doesn't feel like I sound like an influencer or bot, precisely because the top influencers have gotten so good at including the right words, tone or body language in their marketing pitches - or the companies themselves provide a good script.
It seems to me like there is an invisible race going on between how we both detect (in others) and project (to others) that they/we are genuine in our intentions and endorsements versus both the influencers and marketing departments catching up and aiming for even higher "authenticity" and perceived closeness.
Being influential online with who you present to be as a person1 relies on the fact that you are relatable, share a lot of really intimate information and views into your life, make your viewers feel like friends of yours and furthering their parasocial bonds to you. Vlogs and podcasts that feel like a hangout with your friend make it harder for the audience to draw the line between what is real and what is an act for the camera, what is real enjoyment and what is just done for sponsorship money.
I also think it somewhat manipulates the part of us that prefers to get recommendations from a good friend than a sales rep. And if we feel like we know as much about someone as we would know about a good friend and therefore create this artificial bond of intimacy2, we take more kindly to their recommendations, even if they are also just another sales rep doing it for money.
Certain phrases and words just get tainted by online marketing. But before we get into that, ..
Did your brain also jump to ".. a word from our sponsor, BetterHelp!"? If not, I am so happy for you and envious! But this is one example I can think of, among many. I recently shared an invite link to a game I play with some people I talk to online and it made me feel mildly dirty because I associate that with "Click on this link for 25% off with the code..".
Comparable thing showcasing the issue: How certain words and phrases that are overused by ChatGPT ("It's important to consider..", "Remember that.." "Moreover..") now make every post using them appear a bit suspicious.
Because the top influencers get so good at acting like they really really care about that app or product they advertise, genuine expressions of enjoyment get tainted in the same way for me.
But this isn't new. For a good while now, companies have found new ways to harness words with specific meanings and associations for their own gain in regards to intimacy and trust.
See: Brands talking about the "[brand name] Community". It's a little bit eerie to me to think about how we struggle with a loneliness epidemic and companies capitalize on that with sales reps in disguise attempting to become a trusted friend to you for easier sales, while also insinuating that buying grants access to a community of likeminded people as well.
And if you think that bit about the trusted friend isn't happening - I think of all the times I saw people talking about successful online personas saying "xyz saved my life! Their content soothed me/cheered me up/eased my anxiety/gave me hope..", taking over what you'd expect a good real life support network to usually do for someone. A support network that increasingly doesn't exist for many.
I don't want genuine enjoyment and recommendations being tainted by becoming ad speak. I try to share mine despite my own inner associations with that, but I still hesitate and self-censor.
Makes me wonder - what does reclaiming language from marketing look like?