Mystic Christian illustrator Owen Cyclops joins me to discuss internet ethnography and examine online culture. This is our longest episode yet, and also our deepest.
Topics Discussed In This Episode:
[02:30] What internet ethnography means
[07:04] How the culture of the internet became a real life
[16:10] The internet’s social implications
[32:04] Why institutions are losing people’s trust
[37:15] Creating a story on social media
[48:00] Consuming social media information
[52:55] How the internet flattens power and social status
[57:32] Origin of the internet memes
[01:00:10] Lack of positive repercussions on the internet
[01:01:49] Online anonymous honesty
[01:05:50] How the previous internet felt more private
[01:07:24] Taking responsibility on social media posts
[01:10:37] The superiority of the internet forums
[01:14:51] Catering for the internet audience
[01:17:22] Threading on forums
[01:25:45] The need for niche spaces on social media
[01:28:11] Meeting with someone online
[01:30:10] Social Media and vlogging
[01:40:20] Using pseudo accounts vs real identity online
[01:44:00] Separating your real life from online life
[01:47:07] Why do people go insane online
[01:54:18] Keeping a balance between your image and what you post online
[01:59:13] Coming back to center and becoming yourself again
[02:04:11] Creating character social media accounts
[02:15:50] Why do people make up posts on the internet
[02:17:52] Pranking vs. Scam
[02:20:20] Distinguishing between what’s real and what’s fake online
[02:28:10] Social media moderation
[02:53:05] Simulacra and Simulation
[03:03:55] Standard definition of Postmodernism
[03:09:00] Metanarratives of the future
[03:13:45] Accepting that we’re living in different realities
[03:19:05] Constructing narratives through fiction
[03:25:56] Being aware of one’s metanarrative about you
[03:28:17] Challenging people’s metanarratives about others
[03:33:49] Academics and science metanarratives
[03:37:40] How humans are wired to view life
[03:48:58] Connect with Owen Cyclops
Resources
The Intactivist Guidebook by Brendon Marotta
The Art Of Getting Over by Stephen Powers
Ghosts of My Life: Writings on Depression, Hauntology and Lost Futures by Mark Fisher
Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of "Brainwashing" in China by Robert Jay Lifton
Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard
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https://brendonmarotta.com/show/
Internet Ethnography with Owen Cyclops (#024)