Severe Decontextualization of Behavior

“Ordinary and legitimate human desires — to be known, to make sound moral judgements, to take meaningful action — get weirdly distorted as they are abstracted into the realm of digitized relations.” (LM Sacasas)

Influencers in the Wild is an Instagram account capturing moments featuring people performing for social media in everyday places, often in awkward fashion. In a recent post, they shared a relatable remark: "People dancing to no music in a crowd of people will never not be funny to me."

In the year 2021, decontextualized performance may not be as shocking anymore, the sight has become commonplace. The phenomenon is induced by mass social media. Performance for an audience not present, remote and faceless. Deploying behavior for the sake of an online persona and its associated following, not for the sake of the self in relation to the present moment and people in presence. Cringe inducing, a feeling arising from experiencing behavior improperly supported, unsupported by proper intention. When people pretend and can’t pull it of, that’s cringe.

In the video, the performer’s behavior obeys a hybrid context composed by elements of her immediate context (the observation platform and stunning New York City backdrop), mediated aspects (virtual audience), and elements happening in mind (the music being danced to). The logic of the behavior is reward by online engagement.

The performer is engaging her audience in mediated fashion. We're increasing our involvement with the remote, the faraway, the foreign, at the expense of involvement with the immediate situation, the neighborly-communal, the here-and-now.

Speaks to

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• Topic / Mediological Induction

• Topic / Social Media, Environs and Practice

• Topic / American Media Culture, For-Profit Entertainment

External Links

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• Original Video

• Influencers in the Wild – Instagram Account