Strangers; The Final Chapter

Originally, I had planned to write the third part of this series about the way internet stars reach the peak of their stardom on social media, only to fade away in the vast realm where viral trends go to die. Instead, I’d rather take a different approach to deciphering the truth about strangers online by focusing my attention on a subject that’s closer and more personal to our experience: us. 

We are often strangers to those we interact with online. We like the same videos, follow the same influencers, and are equally impacted by the social commentary and culture that emerges with each passing trend. Yet we often know nothing about each other.  

How is it that we can be so alike and have so much overlap in our interests online while knowing very little about the person on the other side of the screen or in the comment section?

I believe that through social media we transform from strangers with no common ground or familiarity, to a great community of like-minded individuals with a shared purpose and thorough enjoyment of the content we desire. When I tell people that I’m a fan of Chappell Roan and that I’ve had the luxury of seeing her live twice now, I’ll get one of two reactions. The person will either give a friendly yet distant smile for they’re not familiar with the wave of popularity online that Chappell has acquired this year, or, if they’re involved in this wave, they’ll likely grab me by the hands, earnest, excited, and eager to compare favorite songs and outfits from her most recent tour. 

Both people may very well be strangers to me, but their very use of social media breaks down that wall and allows me to see not our differences but our similarities. The conversation no longer feels like one between two strangers, but two friends happily sharing their experiences with an artist we’ve both come to know and love. That’s the magic of social media and its effect not only on media literacy and culture but our personal experiences. 

Only in this unique virtual space can I find a connection or a sense of community with a person I’ve never met, someone who lives on the other side of the world with whom I would otherwise have little in common. But we may both be enjoying Brat Summer or watching Chappell’s electric music festival performances online. 

The overwhelming success of artists like Chappell and Charli doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s impacted and propelled by millions of strangers online who connect and engage with their music and their message, to become part of something greater. Brat’s lime green washes over the “for you” page and Chappell’s monthly listeners seem to be doubling every time I check. That is the work of strangers like you and me, who through our overlapping interests create something bigger, something that defines the music of the summer, or even the artist. 

We warn our children not to talk to strangers, and for good reason. The world is full of dangerous people. However, social media redefines those rules as we all meet strangers online every day. It begs the question: how can we keep people safe from strangers online? 

While there are welcoming communities apt for finding online friends, there are also those with sinister intentions, driven by hate and unsafe for young users to interact with. When everyone online is a stranger, we’re faced with a new challenge of detecting who we can trust and who is deceitful. Even the influencers who choose to share every aspect of their life with us–from getting ready in the morning, sharing what they ate in a day, and preparing for bed– are still strangers at the end of the day. 

I wish I could say that the internet is always a safe place to meet or connect with other people, but it wouldn’t be true. I’m grateful that platforms like Tiktok, YouTube, and Instagram allow people to find their communities and connect with people they otherwise would never meet. Our voices are amplified to millions of others and, for that, we’re lucky enough to gain unique perspectives from groups of people we often lack on mainstream television programs. 

The idea of the stranger is something ominous or mysterious, in a way, but can we strip away that mystery through our shared experience or is the veil of anonymity on the internet too great to be lifted?