User:Jessejoseph21/Hyperreality

Article Draft
Proposed by Jean Baudrillard, the concept of hyperreality captures the inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality. This is more prominent in technologically advanced societies. Hyperreality is seen as a condition in which what is real and what is fiction are seamlessly blended together so that there is no clear distinction between where one ends and the other begins. It allows the co-mingling of physical reality with virtual reality (VR) and human intelligence with artificial intelligence (AI).

Jean Baudrillard is a French cultural theorist, sociologist and philosopher. His most notable work consists of establishing the concept of hyperreality and the simulacra. Some of Baudrillard’s most influential theorists consist of Karl Marx, Freud, Levi Strauss, Nietzsche, etc. Baudrillard’s work stems around his interest in the theories of post-structuralism and post-modernism. Some famous theorists who contributed to the field of hyperreality/hyperrealism include Jean Baudrillard, Albert Borgmann, Daniel J. Boorstin, Neil Postman and Umberto Eco.

The study of hyperreality and the effects it has on the consumer falls under the study of semiotics and postmodernism studies. Semiotics is a tradition in the study of the philosophy of language, which focuses on the formal structures of signification and meaning making in culture. Semiotics ws introduced as the theory of signs. Introduced by Ferdinand de Saussure, the sign was established as the basic unit of meaning, where two aspects of a sign coincide to project its meaning. The first being the signifier, which categorizes any material thing that signifies. This may be words on a page, a picture, facial expression, etc. The signified is the concept that a signifier refers to. As the study of semiotics advances codes are used to categorize a map of meanings. These codes are systems of ideas that people use to interpret behaviours and messages they receive. Cultural codes are specific sets of knowledge that provides reference points in the process of interpretation of signs. Thus codes connect semiotics systems of meaning with social values and structure.

Postmodernism is a scholarly tradition in the field of communications studies that speak directly to larger social concerns. Postmodernism was established through the social turmoil of the 1960s, spared by social movements that questioned pre-existing conventions and social institutions. Through the postmodern lens reality is viewed as fragmented, locally produced and polysemic. Social realities are constantly produced ad reproduced, ever changing through the use of language and symbolic forms. Systems, signs, objects and symbols are viewed to have multiple meanings.

Key relational themes
The concepts most fundamental to hyperreality are those of simulation and the simulacrum, first conceptualized by Jean Baudrillard in his book Simulacra and Simulation. The two terms are separate entities with relational origin connections to Baudrillard's theory of hyperreality.

Simulation
Simulation is characterized by a blending of 'reality' and representation, where there is no clear indication of where the former stops and the latter begins. Simulation is no longer that of a territory, a referential being, or a substance; "It is the generation by models of a real without origin or reality: a hyperreal." Baudrillard suggests that simulation no longer takes place in a physical realm; it takes place within a space not categorized by physical limits i.e., within ourselves, technological simulations, etc

Simulacrum
The simulacrum is often defined as a copy with no original, or as Gilles Deleuze (1990) describes it, "the simulacrum is an image without resemblance". Baudrillard argues that a simulacrum is not a copy of the real, but becomes truth in its own right. He created four steps of reproduction: (1) basic reflection of reality, (2) perversion of reality; (3) pretense of reality (where there is no model); and (4) simulacrum, which "bears no relation to any reality whatsoever".

Consequence of hyperreality

Jean Baudrillard was ahead of his time, because hyperreality is more relevant today than it has ever been. The truth was already being called into question with the rise of media and technology, but with the presence of hyperreality being used most and embraced as a new technology, there are a couple of issues or consequences of hyperreality. It's difficult enough to hear something on the news and choose not to believe it, but it's quite another to see an image of an event or anything and use your empirical sense to determine whether the news is true or false, which is one of the consequences of hyperrealism. The first is the possibility of various simulations being used to influence the audience, resulting in an inability to differentiate fiction from reality, which affects the overall truth value of a subject at hand. Another implication or disadvantage is the possibility of being manipulated by what we see. The audience can interpret different messages depending on the ideology of the entity behind an image. As a result, power equates to control over the media and the people .Celebrities, for example, have their photographs taken and altered so that the public can see the final result. The public then perceives celebrities based on what they have seen rather than how they truly are. It can progress to the point where celebrities appear completely different. As a result of celebrities' body modifications and editing, there has been an increase in surgeries and a decrease in self-esteem during adolescence. Because the truth is threatened, a similar outcome for hyperreality is possible.

The Future of Hyperreality
Some believe that the future of hyperreality can be seen through a shift in how people use the internet. The transition from web 1 to web 2 to web 3 can be used to illustrate where hyperreality can lead us. Web 1.0 was designed for reading, with readers being able to search for a topic and read it online. Yahoo, Google, and MSN are examples of web 1.0. Instagram, Tiktok, and Messenger are examples of Web 2.0 platforms that transform what was once a reading platform into an interaction platform. Web 3.0 is a newer platform that allows users to fully integrate virtual into a decentralised environment. Filecoin and metaverse are two examples of web 3 where users can participate in a virtual world. Because it can be used to simulate reality and add depth to the experience, hyperreality is useful in training, education, military, and medical settings. With the rise of hyperreality and technological progress, the next logical step would be to combine the two. One of the future challenges of hyper reality is the lack of laws governing its use and development. Decentralisation of a virtual world can lead to an uncontrolled environment, Decentralisation of a virtual world can result in an uncontrolled, or slightly biased, environment.which is a potential drawback. Baudrillard wrote a book called “The Gold War Did Not Happen” (Baudrillard  1991) in which he discusses media bias and how media is used to portray a "reality" in order to set an agenda. As a result, because there is no distinction between what is real and the simulation chosen to be believed or portrayed, people will believe what they see.

The Role of Hyperreality In Media
As society has transitioned toward a consumer culture, it is apparent that the combination of the free market economy and the advancements found within media and communication technologies have influenced this development. Through the emergent of new media technologies and the ever-growing role of media found within modern day a growing link is displayed between the incorporation and effects of hyperreality. There is a strong link between media and the impact that the presence of hyperreality has on its viewers, this has shown to blur the lines between artificial realities and reality, influencing the day to day experiences of those exposed to it. As hyper reality captures the inability to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality, common media outlets such as news, social media platforms, radio and television contribute to this misconception of true reality.

Through Jean Baudrillard’s book Simulacra and Simulation, Baudrillard describes hyper reality as a critical theory of postmodernism. The negative impacts of hyper reality are found in media and literature. They present themselves as becoming blended with reality, which influenced the experience of life and truth for its viewers. Baudrillard explains these impacts as having a direct effect on younger generations who idolize the heroes, characters or influencers found on these platforms. As media is a social institution that shapes and develops its members within society, the exposure to hyperreality found within these platforms present an everlasting effect. Baudrillard concludes that expose to hyper reality over time will lead to confusion and chaos, leading toward the destruction of identity, originality and character.

Hyperreality, Social Media, and Public Image
With the introduction of the smart phone in the early 2000s, online presence and presence in the real world has become synonymous. An individual's digital footprint can often tell us more about an individual than their real lives, this is because people's behaviors can change dramatically on the internet with virtually no repercussions or laws telling them to do so, the internet has become the anarchist's safe haven. The role social media has in society has dramatically increased in the recent decades and creating a public image or online presence has become an online standard. Twitter has become a main source for public figures to express themselves and for corporations to inform the public. The hyperreality environment on the internet has shifted dramatically over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, so much so that Donald Trump has been banned from Twitter as well as its influence on the Italian Stock Exchange in 2021. The hyperreality created on social media platforms is so strong and influential, its quality and emotion are translated in the physical reality where value has been lost and careers are damaged. Emotions expressed on social media are directly having real life effects on numerous sectors despite having any factual basis or tangible information. As social media becomes more ingrained into the daily lives of countless individuals, the distinction between stories on the internet and truths in real life are becoming more blurred as it descends into the core of hyperreality.

The proliferation of social media has led the way for instantaneous sharing of not only information, but emotions, opinions and culture. The Netflix special, "Squid Game", a Korean drama tv series, saw unprecedented numbers in terms of viewership and audience feedback. The show became a cultural phenomena, starting in South Korea and branching worldwide gathering billions of views and reaching audiences across the world. The show featured numerous childhood activities native to South Korea that many Korean adults knew and were familiar with but were completely foreign to any other nation. The show created hyperreal conditions on the internet where millions were sharing their own feelings and opinions about the show, even going as far as to play the games and practice the activities portrayed in the show. The hyperreal conditions were created so effectively that individual were picking up unique Korean cultural aspects but only giving credit to the show and not the country, individual's believed the show created these games. This is hugely significant because it illustrates Baudrillard’s notion of models or real without reality; a fictional tv show produced real events and practices and completely removed the real cultural significance. Countless TV shows have done this in the past but none to the extent of Squid Game or in such reach; where individuals who did not know the language, country or culture were practicing Korean games almost unknowingly. The Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, California, itself produces similar notions, but is more a symbol of hyperreality, the creation of a city with it's main target being media production.

The increase in social media influencers has shown rise to a popular 'story telling' trend, where creators recount past experiences, often exaggerating and dramatizing the experience for perceived importance and relevance. The trend mixes reality with the virtual world as viewers often feel part of the creators life and identify with this given image the creator produces for his or her audience. Social media currently offers what news and other sources of media could not forty years ago, the chance to not only share news but to also create news. To exaggerate this even further, Tiktok has seen the nuance of AI accounts that present themselves as human-like animated beings with unique personalities, artificial social circles and personal likes and interests. Once designed by man, now completely independent of any influence, these AI creations have mass followings that present conditions of perfect 4th dimension simulation as described by Baudrillard. With the incentive for viewership and notoriety, social media influencers/creators have little incentive to produce meaningful and actual news and instead lean toward these storytelling methods that produce large reactions that blur the lines or reality and false online narratives.