Social media and influencers, and now particularly with TikTok
We have this very widespread behavior of watching yourself, talk to yourself
Social Media categorically requires a fair bit of ego, but this front camera day in the life of sh*t is a different monster
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First and foremost, you're no longer living or experiencing anything, because everything is content
Everything is curated, everything is for an audience
Everything must be perfect within the definition of whatever "brand" you have established
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But the bigger issue here feels like one of self-obsession, this is the parasocial relationship
It's most likely entirely unavoidable because you are literally spending large portions of basically every day looking at yourself that's looking at yourself
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I would almost bet money that the issue with this guy was that he wanted to spend time with her, he wanted her to be filming herself less
He intruded upon the relationship she has with her other self, the self inside the phone screen
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It's really sad, because she effectively found a soulmate
She decided at a young age she wants to live the luxury vagabond life and be a van hippie
And then she found a guy that she really likes, who's about the same age, who's good looking, who wants the same life
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But because parasocial relationships are inherently bad, inherently toxic, it's always going to end up this way
I'm betting this is far more widespread than most people realize, as a lot of young women seek to become influencers
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This is probably responsible for a lot of very questionable dating behavior among young women as well
Because you're inherently pre-selecting for men that aren't interested in you
A guy genuinely interested in you is going to require you to take time away from your other self
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On the other hand, some scummy player who's only there to get his xxxx xxx and eat your food doesn't care that you don't have time for him
Because he literally doesn't want that, he wants to get his xxxx xxx and leave
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I'm immediately reminded of the many videos I've seen of young women complaining about how many guys spend too long in the "Talking phase"
That's the part of the relationship that takes time, that takes time away from your parasocial relationship with yourself
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Just imagine how frustrated guys have to be
You're a guy that found the perfect girl, the complete perfect match, who's also incredibly attractive AND she told you you're the love of her life
And it still isn't enough
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I genuinely don't think so
The more I observe this younger generation the more I think the sexual behavior is downstream from this self parasocial behavior
It's a side effect of wanting to be your own spouse
Maquisard American @GMOShocktrooper
Replying to @GathererSkull
Bro I keep thingking about this one. “It’s the little things” like riding the xxxx she wanna ride. Trampled by donkeys. Narssacistic girl coomer. Her mind belong locked in a room as sex slaves.
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Self imposed Truman Show is a PERFECT description
Nathaniel @Nathaniel1326
It’s like a self imposed Truman Show.
But with more covert narcissism.
Excellent thread. A must read for single men.

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Normalization of extreme "self love"
Straight men aren't given this, but you'll notice gay men are which is why they make up a noticeable portion of this kind of content too
Joe @educatedLame
Replying to @GathererSkull
Any idea what makes women so susceptible to online para social relationships?
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You're probably right
But her self parasocial relationship means that true "alone time" is so incredibly rare as to be more important than anything else
It's self inflicted
Agent Reyes @pointy_elbows
Replying to @GathererSkull
When she talks about having her ollipop in a park and just chilling, I don't think that's something she intends to film.
Many guys know what it's like to feel claustrophobic in a relationship.
Having breathing space makes you ultimately appreciate the time you have together more
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This doesn't actually change anything
She's living in his self inflicted situation that is, in part, for her parasocial self, and stalling life indefinitely for it
Also the entirety of human history is built on young couples living in small spaces
Abigail Burns @RealAbigailB
Replying to @GathererSkull
Something else nobody is considering is that they were living in a van together. Even the healthiest couples would be at each others throats in just a few weeks in such close quarters with no place to retreat to.
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No it's a thread about the ever increasing parasocial issue that's growing among young people in western society using this particular video as a jumping off point
It's pretty sure straight forward tbh
Douglas Fir @DouglasFir33
Replying to @GathererSkull
A 16-post thread condemning someone for liking the sound of their own voice too much, huh?
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This is actually where I first started getting the idea of the parasocial self
another Kyle @KyleHighCity
Replying to @GathererSkull
Its been said before but I feel like the biggest giveaway of this is the weird use of "pov youre doing this thing" on a video of themselves and not their pov doing the thing. It's not that they don't understand what pov is. Watching themselves act IS their actual point of view.
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They're obsessed with the person on the screen, the persona of who they are, it's one sided because your reflection can't love you back
It's unconscious narcissism
It's the entire premise of the thread, I literally went into great detail about it
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See above
I wouldn't say faux because to them I believe the relationship *feels real* but the relationship can't be real because again your reflection cannot reciprocate
Austin M. Craig @austinmcraig
Replying to @GathererSkull @SpiritedSparr0w
Clarifying: Do you mean they have a faux-relationship with their own Insta image?
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I would call it true narcissism, but I think that makes this sound like a personal issue where I think this is more a cultural one which is why I avoided it entirely
Cú Lyo @Cu_Lyo
Replying to @GathererSkull
I've never heard it put that way before. Advanced narcissism?
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I can't imagine how you WOULDN'T
It's why I refuse to make any real attempt to monetize this account
I don't want ANY obligation to the "Skull King"
Austin M. Craig @austinmcraig
Replying to @GathererSkull
Yeah. This makes sense. In a prior life I worked w YT influencers and saw a similar thing. The daily lifestyle vloggers would all eventually quit or go insane. They completely lost any sense of who they ACTUALLY were. It was all performance, and they lived it, all day every day.
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A big part of why this thread is so long and why I care is because I'm starting to believe this is "just what the kids do" in the same way in the 50s/60s kids suddenly went to burger joints and listened to rock & roll
And I think that's a problem
Sinicall the Always Picked @Sinicall1
Replying to @GathererSkull
I’ll be honest I don’t get why they bother with this so much, is it just the attention?