The Weird Paradox

There's a peculiar situation going on in social media these days: Instagram Moms. They've taken over the platform with pictures of their kids, their activities, the sweet notes they pack in their lunch boxes every morning. They have this thing going on in which they balance family, fun and fitness in ways that only superheroes (or really skilled yogis) can. My cousin is one of these Instagram Moms:

All images reproduced with permission from her.

There is nothing wrong, of course, with choosing to show your life online. However, these images are only quick snapshots of what is a much greater frame: her busy life. Of course, the picture painted is made to be aesthetically pleasing, and I know she takes great care to show the best parts of her family on social media. Contrary to the public's perception of her feed, she doesn't spend hours brunching with the in-laws, or cooking, or hiking around undiscovered sierras in Germany. Her life is pretty much ordinary... With a couple shots of adventure in it. Overall, by looking only at users' social media profiles, reality is painted to be much different to what everyday life looks like.

This is what Mercer talks about in The Circle: the clear division between the self and the online self.

Mercer has become my favorite character in The Circle. His clear, lucid appraisal of Mae Holland's situation and life as a circler is a welcome read after the rest of the characters' oblivious descent into the madness of the corporation. He notes the "weird paradox" that is "thinking you're at the center of things", whilst at the same time "becoming less vibrant". Mae's socializing is limited to a few "smiles" (online, of course), or "frowns", without any face-to-face interaction, because of her always being hooked to the platforms online.

That is what I think about when I see how many of my Instagram friends follow accounts like these:

Left: @jayalvarrez, below: @alexisren. Both from Instagram. 







They comment and "react" on these pictures of beautiful landscapes, other people doing things they wish they could do... And live these peoples' lives through their own mobile devices, instead of going out and doing it themselves. This is what Mercer tells Mae: how she's become a mere router that receives and re-transmits information in the  forms of "smiles" and "frowns".

It's hard to understand nowadays that a Facebook like or an Instagram heart doesn't automatically transmit to actually experiencing something: it's just an umbrella concept to house the people who like the same activities or ideas. Furthermore, and as with my cousin's feed, these are only quick snapshots of their lives, and don't encompass all of it.

Mae herself notes that it was "strange (...) being reduced to a list of likes and dislikes" in LuvLuv's presentation, and yet she doesn't realize that she has been reduced to that by her own accord. She doesn't experience these things anymore, but merely observes, digests and rates a situation or activity without moving from her desk. This has become increasingly (and scarily) common these days, and The Circle mirrors this common phenomenon perfectly: the swallowing of the self by the online persona, a merging that turns multidimensional beings into an information-spewing colander of fake experiences.