Of the Social Media Neediness of 2016

Social media encircles is all, whether you snap, tweet, and instagram, or you stick to the classic Facebook, every person is somehow involved in the internet phenomenon. We've seen great triumphs come through social media, like the Arab Spring revolutions of 2010 that were largely orchestrated on social media. The benefits of social media seem to be obvious and endless, but too many users are unwilling to see the dark side of media, the decline of face-to-face interaction accompanying the increasing need to stay “connected” at all times.

In 2016, it is hard to miss the productivity and connectivity of social media; it helps keep us in contact with loved ones, promotes our businesses, and spreads important news to the world. When I travelled to Germany last summer, I found out same-sex marriage was legalized on a federal level through a tweet from @BuzzFeedNews, and all the subsequent tweets from jubilant supporters of the movement. Had I not logged onto twitter that at that time, I probably would not have found out for days, or maybe not even until after I returned. Messaging apps like WhatsApp and KakaoTalk enabled me and my family to text without having to front outrageous international phone charges, as well as the video chat capabilities of Facebook Messenger and Skype.

In The Circle, particularly in the beginning of the novel before it becomes clear the overwhelming power the company holds, similar benefits are seen. TruYou disables anonymity, drastically lowering bullying and other digital harassment that is perpetuated when internet users can "mask" themselves behind a computer screen. The sheer involvement of Circlers in networking allows people of similar beliefs to meet and discuss their passions with like-minded people.

What goes often unnoticed is the creation of an entirely separate world from reality. Though anonymity is not possible through TruYou and The Circle's services, the ability to create separate, online personalities creates a gateway for many people to get lost in the endless appeal of social media. Even if the account is not created under an alias or anonymously, an internet presence, like an Instagram account or a Tumblr blog, opens up a whole new world to explore. Number of followers, likes, or views becomes a form of validation, similar to athletic competitions in which the best participants receive awards for their accomplishments.

Just like followers on Instagram or views on Youtube, The Circle's Partirank puts a number to internet participation. Mae spends countless overtime hours Zinging, posting, commenting, and sharing on her Inner- and Outer-Circle feeds to raise her rank, hours she could have spent thinking of new ideas, talking to her parents, or getting some much needed rest. These numerical values become a competition in our world where we place so much importance on being number one. Look at the school system and you can see the heavy weight of competition prominent throughout-- between exams, standardized tests, and overall grades, students are pressured to get the highest score they can manage, even moreso in countries outside the U.S. like China and Germany.

The problem here is not necessarily that people want to be number one, as a little competition is healthy and keeps us stimulated, but that in attempting to obtain the top rank, be it literally through The Circle's party rank, or through likes and followers online, reality is forgotten. How many times have you gone out with friends or hung out at someone's house, and though you were all gathered in the same place, each person was glued to their individual phone screen? Maybe it's because I'm just a boring person, but I often find myself talking to the side or top of someone's face as they look at their phone instead of me while I'm telling a story. Mae, though she has spend perhaps too many hours glued to a screen, has very few close friends. She knew practically nothing about Kalden (though he is a special case), hardly spoke to Annie once her career starting developing, and rarely met up with any other coworkers outside of work. This lack of close, personal relationships is also evident in today's society; sure, you have a million followers on Instagram, but how much time did you spend taking pictures, editing, commenting, and otherwise promoting online while real people passed by you without taking a second glance?

Social media has impacted the world in positive ways by creating mediums for communication and the spreading of news, but has also detracted from the development of deep relationships. The next time your phone buzzes with a new notification from Instagram, stop and think who you might be ignoring by swiping right, for glancing away could find you a new friend or a stronger bond with those you love.

Cellophane (You Never Know the Camera's There)

As you read through The Circle, there surely were moments in which you thought, "Come on, Mae, this is obviously such a bad idea." Maybe it was when she gave that uncomfortable thirty-second handjob to Francis, or when she snuck into the bathroom with Kalden for another unwanted (at least on our behalf) sexual encounter. Probably, if you live in any country that has at least a smidgen of democracy, you groaned in despair when she agreed (or was rather persuaded) to go transparent. This topic of transparency deserves further scrutiny; can we see such actions in our culture or as a benefit to ourselves nationally?

For Mae, in The Circle, we can almost clearly see how poorly this is going to turn out, even without finishing more than half of the book. The Circle controls everything, and within the span of a few months, has gained control of even more aspects of life in the novel. It has already been projected by the company that "completion" will be reached within another few months. Though we don't understand exactly what "completion" entails, it is alarmingly clear it will lead to total power of The Circle, whether it will be used in favor of the people, or fall into corruption like so many powers in history have.

The idea of transparency, at least on a political level, however, does seem rather appealing. Especially in 2016, with such a widely-covered presidential election in a few weeks, citizens especially want to know as much information as possible regarding who they will be electing to represent the country. I, admittedly, know very little solid, factual information about the candidates, be it Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. What I do know is many people consider Hillary to be one big liar. This is something I have only heard through word of mouth, mainly from people who are not Hillary supporters. I bet, though, that such people that subscribe to this common idea that Hillary Clinton is a liar would pay good money to attach a camera to her chest and make her film her every move from the moment she awakens to the very last second before she goes to sleep. The same can be said for those who do not support Donald Trump; wouldn't you like to know what such an eccentric and wealthy guy does in his free time?

The Circle definitely has the right idea in believing that attaching a camera focused on someone will change their behavior, typically for the better. We all try to put our best face forward whenever there is a camera pointed at us; who wants an ugly photo of ourselves to be uploaded to the internet or shared with other friends? Mae has noticeably changed her behavior, too, by not meeting up with or calling after Kalden and by intentionally smiling while watching Circlers play a game even though her thoughts were running wild. So we think, if these politicians were followed by a camera practically 24/7, their behavior would change for the better, too.

These cameras do not need to be on at night once Mae and the other transparent people are getting ready to sleep and this is often when many crimes and "unthinkable" acts are committed. Think frats, apartments, sexual assaults, clowns. All happening when the cameras are off. Mae, perfect, transparent Mae, turns her camera off, drinks vodka, and meets Francis to have more awkward sex all while her camera sits in her dorm room.

In terms of privacy, transparency breaches practically all boundaries. Mae has very little time to just relax and be truly alone. In the YouTube community, where many content makers not only create videos to post online, but also video their daily lives in vlogs, this loss of privacy is also seen. One of the biggest, original YouTubers Jenna Marbles, mentioned in a video, "You might know me on the internet, but I don't know who you are," in regards to fans coming to her house and demanding various things of her. Not only is she sharing her life with millions of people on the internet, these people are also breaching her privacy outside of what she is willing to share.

Transparency, due to its controversial nature and its capability to breach privacy, should be avoided or kept at a minimum in real life. The Circle serves as an example of what we don't want to do in striving for a more open and overall better life and the dangers technology can bring.