Authenticity in a Consumer Culture
In “Branding the Authentic,” I realized how brands continue to overwhelm our culture while often interrupting self-identity formation. Logorama is the author’s warning of the future. As brands become more prominent aspects of our everyday lives, consumerism will simultaneously consume us, potentially losing our authentic selves in the process. Brands have the ability to replace a human to human relationship, but the experience of brands can be deceiving. Weiser (2012) taught me that US culture is a combination of everyday, individual experiences and the market. It has resulted in a culture where our inner and outer selves are constantly at battle with one another. Authenticity is still reachable, but only outside of consumer capitalism.
“When your business is yourself, it can turn your whole life into work.”
In “What Does it Cost To Be Big On Instagram?” I learned about the behind-the-scenes labor for Instagram influencers, such as the risks and time Mary Gui took in order to capture the “perfect picture.” Instagram influencers go through great lengths, and expenses, to make their presence on Instagram more notable, as well as to receive sponsorship from brands while increasing their followers. I also learned about the personal sacrifices Instagram influencers experience, such as fake friendships and relationships, and how a lack of engagement can amount to a low self-esteem. However, according to the influencers in the article, it is worth it.
The documentary, Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, showed the deceptive capabilities behind social media. Billy McFarland advertised a luxurious party on social media, but delivered the opposite. The Fyre Festival was a lie, but its advertised admiration attracted guests, portraying how vulnerable we are to the sometimes fraudulent nature of social media. Similarily, Instagram influencers portray glamorized images to an ignorant audience of what truly lies behind the picturesque snapshot.
Living in a consumer society
Achieving authenticity is a consistent struggle for those surrounded by brands and materialism. I can relate to wanting to spend more money to keep up with the latest technological and fashion trends. For example, I update my iPhone when everyone else does, even when it is not needed. I spend extra money on brand-name and quality clothes. “Branding the Authentic” made me more aware of the brands I use, and how they reveal aspects of myself. I drink diet Coke rather than regular Coke, I wear Nike instead of Puma, and I drink Starbucks instead of Dunkin’ Donuts. Evidently, the brand culture is a part of my daily routine. I developed somewhat superficial habits in our consumer culture, similar to the majority of American consumer citizens. This can become dangerous, however, when people deem themselves as worthy as the brands that they consume, a trap I occasionally fall into.
As discussed in “What Does it Cost To Be Big On Instagram?” I witness Instagram influencers in action. I follow the skinny girls with designer clothes and many fitness influencers, previously unaware of the lengths they went through for the potentially fraudulent pictures they post on my newsfeed.
My changed idea of authenticity
I now see how our lived culture has transformed into a branded culture. The state of true authenticity in the midst of a consumer culture is at risk, and cultural spaces, such as self-identity and creativity, are mostly vulnerable to brand contamination. It is interesting to consider the potential repercussions that living in a brand culture has on identity formation, and if our current world resembles Logorama. In a consumer culture, it is possible to become overly tolerant of our capital spending in efforts to “self-brand,” and confusing our authentic selves with our consumer selves.
Some individuals, such as Instagram influencers, would sacrifice authenticity for money, Instagram fame, and to avoid working a full-time job, though the measures they take are comparable to working multiple full-time jobs. Once an influencer loses their personal style in the midst of the glitz and glamour, they will lose their authenticity.
