Image created using DALL·E 3 with this prompt: Create an image that reflects the text below. Aspect ratio 16:9.
Need to show someone that you are very, very popular? Need social validation to boost your self confidence while out for the evening with your friends? Want 20,000 viewers to interact with you right now? You’re just a few taps away. Head over to your favorite app store and download a “fame experience simulator” app. There are quite a few to choose from: Parallel Live, Famefy, Famy, Fake Live, Live Stream, Fame Simulator… the list goes on.
The apps use generative AI to simulate vast audiences for livestreams, creating the illusion that you are engaging with a huge, interactive fan base. This trend is both bizarre and somewhat predictable, given the lengths some people go to to attain perceived social success.
I’m not endorsing or (in any way) condoning this behavior. The existence of these apps shines a bright light on social media’s impact on self-esteem and interpersonal relationships. What’s worse is the trend toward using these fabricated metrics to impress others. There are all kinds of videos being posted by individuals who are using these apps at bars and parties in ways that are cringeworthy, yet easy to imagine.
Hopefully, this mildly disturbing trend will be short-lived. It’s about as far from digital honesty and transparency as it is possible to get.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it. This work was created with the assistance of various generative AI models.