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ephemera  never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake  1yr ago (ryandv.substack.com)   Edited 20d ago   2340 thread views

Explorations in Identity and Media

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Conversely, what effect does the absence of adequately many representations of self have on our own self-image & identity? Without a reflection in the black mirror with which to see ourselves or be seen by others, do digital vampires even exist in a world where the Web has supplanted the real?

Sorry to be annoying, but could you just make your point plainly without pretentious metaphors? What do you mean by digital vampires? What is the black mirror? Do you just mean people without a social media presence? If that’s what you mean then why not say it? If that’s not what you mean, then perhaps my confusion is a predictable outcome of this writing style. Does this post say more than just a link to /r/instagramreality? It’s hard to tell if you don’t say it clearly

What is the black mirror?

Your cell-phone, the name being coined by the TV/streaming series of the same name. Modern phones are literally black mirrors, which makes the metaphor all the more piquant.

What do you mean by digital vampires?

My interpretation: vampires avoid mirrors; people who avoid the black mirror, who don't participate in phone culture, might be argued to be less real than those subsumed by it, given how central phone culture and the net generally are to current existence. Think of the Amish. Are they "real"? Are they significant, do their concerns matter? Do you care about them at all? Do they have even the slightest impact on your life?

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