'Society of The Spectacle' Quote Analysis (Short Essay #2) by Raven D.

In Guy Debord’s The Society of The Spectacle (1967), he theorizes how society is influenced and conditioned in various ways to conform to certain ideals of living. Considering the way that COVID-19 quarantine increased the use of social media 

Q1 - ‘The spectacle is not a collection of images; it is a social relation between people that is mediated by images.” (4)

• Social Media is overall used to universally connect with others. Lives are depicted in posts or statuses (i.e: text, photos, videos) of what a person makes known online. In prior to the pandemic, social media was already in common use for communicating with others and absorbing content but now it’s even more reliant during these times where face-to-face contact is restricted. People are more active online than ever; whether it's to stay in touch with loved ones, attend work zoom meetings, sit through google classroom sessions, or just escape the reality of it all. I believe that the use of social media has become less optional due to current events, it’s more obligatory to be online so you’re not missing anything. During the earlier days of quarantine people would share their experiences in how they’re dealing with it, ranging from pictures, videos, or posts of activities. We’re universally connected with each other through this experience in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak, sharing our experiences throughout it. In general, when using social media, we connect with others through content that’s relatable or interesting to us. Anything you post online could possibly come across another person’s radar. Debord believes that the spectacle is driven by images that evoke communication and relations amongst others. 

Q2 - “The spectacle cannot be understood as a mere visual excess produced by mass-media technologies. It is a worldview that has actually been materialized, that has become an objective reality.” (5)

• Social Media is authentic to a certain extent but mostly superficial. There are ideal ways of living such as luxury, that is heavily encouraged. For example, Instagram is used to share photos and videos of people’s best moments. It also encourages the concept of success through physical appearance or fame by influencers, celebrities, and trends overall. In the case of the pandemic, almost everyone isn’t living how they ideally would be. Usually, the function of the spectacle through social media glamorizes and dramatizes reality but during this time, it constantly reminds us of the actual bigger picture of reality. I believe that Debord is saying that the spectacle is filtered with materialistic values that we as a society consume so much of which makes it harder for us to distinguish reality most of the time.

Q3 - “When the real world is transformed into mere images, mere images become real beings — figments that provide the direct motivations for a hypnotic behavior. Since the spectacle’s job is to use various specialized mediations in order to show us a world that can no longer be directly grasped, it naturally elevates the sense of sight to the special preeminence once occupied by touch: the most abstract and easily deceived sense is the most readily adaptable to the generalized abstraction of present-day society. But the spectacle is not merely a matter of images, nor even of images plus sounds. It is whatever escapes people’s activity, whatever eludes their practical reconsideration and correction. It is the opposite of dialogue. Wherever representation becomes independent, the spectacle regenerates itself.”(18)

• The influence of social media often creates goals and expectations for those who aren’t necessarily wealthy or privileged. The act of being someone that you're not only enforces escapism more than actual change. It tends to push people away from reality which causes a lack of relatability. It makes us seek what we don’t have and undervalue what we already have. According to Joanne Finklestein's The Art of Self Invention, it's stated that "The self is thoroughly sentimentalized; it is variously seen as a Doppelgänger, interior diary, portable touchstone, and inner voice that we rely on to...make sense of our circumstances. At the same time, it is a source of anxiety; after all, we know how much we style ourselves to meet the occasion, how fully we calculate the risks, and view the other with an evaluative eye. Presumably, others are doing the same, and given the ubiquity of self-presentation we are often curious about whom we are actually meeting in the public arena and whom we can trust". (Finklestein, 14-15).  Throughout the pandemic, some people have taken the time to reinvent themselves, whether it be learning a new skill, redisocerving an old passion, or changing their entire wardrobe. The idea of change is encouraged by the spectacle in seeing different identities all across the media. For example, if a video went viral you'll have people who crave the same success or feel inspired by them, so they'll try to remake their version of it. In regard of Debord's statement, he means that the spectable being  so abstract it's an escape from  reality while it still feeds into the idea of change. When a one person represents themselves and starts a trend the spectacle is broadened to that idea.

Q4 - “As long as necessity is socially dreamed, dreaming will remain necessary. The spectacle is the bad dream of a modern society in chains and ultimately expresses nothing more than its wish for sleep. The spectacle is the guardian of that sleep.” (21).

• Anything that is made necessary by the spectacle, will always be a want. It's a common belief that we exist to solely work until we're no longer able to function rather than live life. If you're not making moves or being productive you'd be considered as inferior to those that do. Some people would refer to this as the 'Rise and Grind' mentality, where a person regardless of their circumstances constantly hustles by all means necessary to have a stable living, provide, or stunt on others. Its definitely influenced by the lifestyle of social media influencers and celebrities, whereas most worked for what they have and others didn't do as much to be as successful as they are. This reminds me of how our society created these expectations for my generation and the following to achieve certain milestones at a certain age, especially with how the world is advancing with more opportunities than before. Even in the time of the pandemic, the expectations are still present but more challenging to accomplish with everything going on. Debord is saying that as long as there are rewards, possibilities of a higher living and overall betterment for oneself, society will remain in this work cycle towards those desires.