In 2016, a young man named Nicholas Perry, then 24 years old, embarked on a quest for online fame. He began by sharing videos on his YouTube channel, where he showcased his talent for playing the violin and his commitment to veganism. However, his initial efforts went largely unnoticed. A year later, Nicholas decided to abandon veganism due to health concerns, which opened up new possibilities for his content.
With his dietary restrictions lifted, Nicholas ventured into the world of mukbang videos, a genre where creators eat large quantities of food while engaging with their audience as if sharing a meal with a friend. This new approach quickly gained traction, attracting a growing audience eager to watch his eating adventures.
As his viewership expanded, so did their expectations. Fans began requesting increasingly challenging eating feats, and Nicholas, eager to please, took on these challenges with gusto. His videos evolved into spectacles of extreme eating, with him consuming entire fast-food menus in a single sitting.
In some ways, Nicholas’s efforts paid off. He rebranded himself as Nikocado Avocado and amassed over six million subscribers across six YouTube channels. However, this newfound popularity came at a cost. The mild-mannered, health-conscious Nicholas Perry transformed into the loud, exaggerated persona of Nikocado Avocado, shaped by the demands of his audience.
This transformation highlights a phenomenon known as audience capture, a powerful force in the world of influencers and online content creators. Audience capture involves both conscious and unconscious processes, where an individual’s identity gradually morphs to align with audience expectations.
To understand this, we must consider how people define themselves. Our identities are constantly shaped by feedback from others, often perceived through their eyes. This concept, known as the “looking glass self,” was introduced by American sociologist Charles Cooley. It suggests that our personalities develop as roles we perform for others, fulfilling the expectations we believe they have of us.
In small, close-knit communities, the looking glass self helped individuals become the people their loved ones wanted them to be. However, in today’s digital age, influencers often base their identities on the abstract representations of others online. This feedback can lead them to adopt more extreme behaviors, as these garner the most attention and approval.
As influencers exaggerate certain aspects of their personalities, they become caricatures of themselves. This caricature becomes their distinct brand, and any deviation from it may be perceived as inauthentic. Over time, the persona can eclipse the individual, trapping them in a cycle of maintaining an exaggerated identity.
The ancient Greek legend of Narcissus tells of a youth so captivated by his own reflection that he became entranced and was transformed into a flower. Similarly, influencers risk becoming enamored with their idealized online personas, forgetting who they were or could be. This represents a significant trap in the pursuit of fame: becoming a prisoner of one’s own persona.
The desire for recognition in a fragmented world can lead us to become who we think others want us to be. While personal development can be challenging and lonely, there is comfort in crowdsourcing our identities. However, it is essential to remember that when you become who your audience expects at the expense of your true self, the affection you receive is directed at the character you portray, not at you as an individual. This character may eventually become tiresome, and chasing the approval of others can lead to losing your own self-approval.
Write a reflective essay exploring how audience capture can influence personal identity. Consider how Nicholas Perry’s transformation into Nikocado Avocado illustrates this phenomenon. Reflect on how your own identity might be shaped by external expectations and feedback.
Participate in a group discussion about the impact of online personas. Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of maintaining an exaggerated online identity. Share your thoughts on how influencers can balance authenticity with audience expectations.
Analyze a case study of another influencer who has experienced audience capture. Compare and contrast their journey with that of Nikocado Avocado. Identify key factors that contributed to their transformation and discuss potential strategies for maintaining authenticity.
Engage in a role-playing exercise where you assume the role of an influencer facing audience capture. Develop a strategy to navigate the pressures of audience expectations while staying true to your personal values. Present your strategy to the class and receive feedback.
Create a multimedia project that illustrates a balanced online persona. Use video, audio, or digital art to depict how an influencer can maintain authenticity while engaging with their audience. Share your project with the class and explain your creative choices.
This presentation was written and recorded by Gurwinder. In 2016, 24-year-old Nicholas Perry wanted to gain popularity online. He started uploading videos to his YouTube channel, showcasing his passion for playing the violin and promoting veganism. Initially, he went largely unnoticed. A year later, he abandoned veganism due to health concerns. Now free to eat whatever he wanted, he began uploading mukbang videos where he consumed various dishes while engaging with the camera as if having dinner with a friend. These new videos quickly attracted a sizable audience.
As his audience grew, so did their demands. The comment sections of his videos became filled with requests for him to take on increasingly challenging eating feats. Eager to please, he began setting himself difficult eating challenges, each one more extreme than the last. His audience applauded his efforts but always wanted more. Soon, he was filming himself eating entire menus from fast food restaurants in one sitting.
In some respects, his efforts paid off. Nicholas Perry, now better known as Nikocado Avocado, has amassed over six million subscribers across six channels on YouTube by catering to the escalating demands of his audience. He achieved his goal of becoming popular online, but the cost was that he transformed in ways he hadn’t anticipated. Nikocado, shaped by his audience’s desires, is now a vastly different character from the mild-mannered, health-conscious Nicholas Perry who first started making videos. Where Perry was reserved, Nikocado is loud, abrasive, and often exaggeratedly grotesque.
The intense desire for attention led to a situation where the individual was overshadowed by the persona. This phenomenon, known as audience capture, is crucial for understanding influencers and the online ecosystem. Audience capture is an irresistible force in the world of influencing, as it involves both conscious and unconscious processes. It may appear to be a simple case of influencers creating content that they believe audiences want, but it is much deeper. It involves the gradual replacement of a person’s identity with one tailored for the audience.
To understand this, we must consider how people define themselves. A person’s identity is constantly refined through feedback from others. This feedback often comes not from direct communication but from how individuals perceive themselves through the eyes of others. We develop our personalities by imagining how we appear to others, using their perspectives as mirrors. Just as lacking a mirror can leave us disheveled, lacking feedback from others can leave us feeling lost. This is why those raised in isolation may adopt behaviors akin to wild animals.
In essence, to be someone, we need someone to reflect that identity back to us. Our personalities develop as roles we perform for others, fulfilling the expectations we believe they have of us. The American sociologist Charles Cooley referred to this as the “looking glass self.” Evidence of this phenomenon includes the everyday experience of seeing ourselves through social interactions, the tendency to alter behavior in the presence of others, and the way individuals adopt traits of their online avatars.
In small, tight-knit communities, the looking glass self helped us become the people our loved ones wanted us to be. However, in today’s world, we often gauge our identities based on the abstract representations of others online. The feedback influencers receive often leads them to adopt more extreme behaviors, as these garner the most attention and approval. This can result in them exaggerating certain aspects of their personalities, becoming caricatures of themselves.
As the caricature becomes the influencer’s distinct brand, subsequent attempts to remain on brand require them to act like this exaggerated persona. Over time, this caricature becomes more familiar to both the audience and the influencer than the original person. Any deviation from this persona may be perceived as inauthentic, leading to a situation where the persona eclipses the individual.
The ancient Greek legend of Narcissus tells of a youth so captivated by his own reflection that he became entranced and was transformed into a flower. Similarly, influencers risk becoming enamored with their idealized online personas, forgetting who they were or could be. This represents a significant trap in the pursuit of fame: becoming a prisoner of one’s own persona.
The desire for recognition in a fragmented world can lead us to become who we think others want us to be. While personal development can be challenging and lonely, there is comfort in crowdsourcing our identities. However, it is essential to remember that when you become who your audience expects at the expense of your true self, the affection you receive is directed at the character you portray, not at you as an individual. This character may eventually become tiresome, and chasing the approval of others can lead to losing your own self-approval.
Audience – A group of individuals who observe or receive a message, often influencing the behavior and communication style of the presenter. – In social psychology, understanding the audience’s demographics can significantly impact the effectiveness of a persuasive speech.
Capture – To accurately represent or record a psychological or social phenomenon for analysis or study. – Researchers aim to capture the nuances of human behavior through detailed observational studies.
Identity – The characteristics, traits, or social roles that define an individual or group, often explored in both psychology and sociology. – Adolescents often struggle with identity formation as they transition from childhood to adulthood.
Feedback – Information provided regarding aspects of one’s performance or behavior, used to guide future actions and development. – Constructive feedback in therapy sessions can help clients modify maladaptive behaviors.
Persona – The social facade or role that an individual presents to the outside world, which may differ from their true self. – In sociology, the concept of persona is crucial in understanding how individuals navigate social interactions.
Expectations – Beliefs or assumptions about what will happen in the future, often influencing behavior and social interactions. – Teachers’ expectations can significantly affect students’ academic performance and self-esteem.
Sociology – The study of social behavior, institutions, and structures, and how they influence human interactions and society. – Sociology provides insights into how cultural norms shape individual and group behaviors.
Psychology – The scientific study of the mind and behavior, encompassing various aspects of human experience. – Psychology explores cognitive processes, emotions, and social interactions to understand human behavior.
Behaviors – Observable actions or responses of individuals or groups, often studied to understand underlying psychological or social processes. – Analyzing consumer behaviors can help marketers develop more effective advertising strategies.
Development – The process of growth and change that occurs throughout the lifespan, influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. – Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development outline the challenges faced at different life stages.
