The Cult of Self (Part Three)
From the rise of reality TV and influencer culture to the constant bombardment of advertising messages, it seems that our culture is more focused on the self than ever before. But how did we get here? In this episode, I continue the exploration of the cult of self from the perspective of how our obsession with self has shaped the advertising industry throughout the 20th and 21st century, including the rise of reality tv and the influencer economy.
Listen in as I discuss the concept of “selfie dysmorphia” and how it has become a pervasive issue, leading many to seek out extreme measures to achieve an idealized version of themselves. I also take a dive into the history of advertising and propaganda from the nephew of Freud himself, how religion has shaped our relationship with the self, and how the advent of the computer and the internet has contributed to the cult of the self . Buckle up, it’s going to be a wild ride!
And as with everything I share on the podcast, this is what I believe based on what I’ve read and researched. But please don’t take my word for it. Keep what sticks, discard the rest and for goodness sakes, go out and test drive it!
What You’ll Learn In Today’s Episode:
How advertising has fed into our self-obsession and what it means to engineer consent.
What contributed to the rise of reality TV and the influencer economy.
How the smartphone has been central to the rise of influencers.
How religion fits into our self-obsession.
How living in a “we” space can have a significant positive impact on our lives.
What Was Mentioned:
Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It’s Doing to Us by Will Storr
Propaganda by Edward Bernays
Age is just a number: How to adapt influencer marketing strategies for different generations
The Fourth Turning: What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America’s Next Rendezvous with Destiny by William Strauss and Neil Howe
Ideas Worth Sharing:
“Today we have unlimited terms to describe the same thing; disinformation, misinformation, fake news, hype, spin, state sponsored BS.” – Christina Sestan
“If you feel close to someone online, it is very likely you will trust what they tell you.” – Christina Sestan
“Reality TV has now become indispensable for making stars out of untalented or unworthy folks and birthing a whole new subset of so-called Z list celebrities.” – Christina Sestan
“Anyone with an opinion and the means to broadcast it can potentially grow into an influencer.” – Christina Sestan
“If ever there was a career most suited to the Cult of the Self, then influencer must be it.” – Christina Sestan
“Your most sacred life stories – are they about you or we?” – Christina Sestan
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