The Uncanny Hyperreality of German Internet Ads
The twisted portrayal of German society in advertising.
Have you ever wondered what aliens would think human life was like if the only knowledge they had of us came from our digital media? What misconceptions would this give them about the reality of our lives on Earth? Perhaps a more pertinent questions is, how does the digital media we consume colour our own perceptions of the reality of the physical world?
It goes without saying that people spend an inordinate amount of time these days peering at the screens of their smartphones, computers, and TVs. Staring at a rectangular piece of glass has become for many their primary source of entertainment, work, and socialization. They entertain themselves by staring at a large piece of glass, they work by staring at a medium-sized piece of glass, and they socialize by staring at a small piece of glass. It’s gotten to the point where once ordinary activities such as playing sports, meeting up with a friend, or going for a walk are now simply breaks from our routine hours-long sessions of screentime.
Our perpetual subsumption in media today has blurred the lines between the digital and the real. This creates what postmodern philosophers have referred to as hyperreality. Hyperreality is a state of consciousness where the mind can no longer distinguish between reality and imitations of reality such as the images we see on our screens. With enough exposure to these imitations, over time, they will begin to change our perception of the real world around us.
A rather bizarre experience I’ve had over the past year via repeated, yet involuntary exposure to German internet ads has got me thinking about this phenomenon a lot of late.
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