The lights are on. And the camera is rolling. You’re the focus of attention. Now, you just have to decide what you want to put up on the green screen. The idea here follows its same use as in the television industry. You can quite literally impose any image you want onto the screen. That means you can be anybody you want. Anywhere you want. When ever you want. So, what do you have on your green screen?
What Are You Putting Up…
Perception and influence have always been the deciding factors in how the world views us and how we want to be viewed by the world. And although this has always existed to some degree and extended with the introduction of the internet, social media and social networking has further helped allow anyone to become anyone they want. The question here is, what is real and what isn’t?
To say that we deal with and live through different realities online is almost too obvious of a statement. You will act one way with your real friends on Facebook. Professionally with your connections on LinkedIn. And in an appeasing manner to satisfy the followers on Twitter – who are complete strangers, newfound online friendships and pre-existing real-world relationships. You may even act the same throughout the either social world. Or you even might act in a more diverse manner than what was mentioned. But the idea here goes further than all of that.
The Green Screen Syndrome
The Green Screen Syndrome is apparent within all members and aspects of society. However, Gen-Y – and all the Millennials that encompass it – is extremely affected by this mode of thought. A mode of thought that is based on influence, lifestyle brands and consumer horizontalization. But don’t be fooled here. Gen-Y is not faking being someone else. They are themselves. Rather, they’re only showing the world the good bits and pieces of their story.
This is what the green screen allows you to do. This is also what the social world helps you accomplish. When you’re creating your online-self, you’re really only showing your best-side. And it’s only natural to do this. You would never walk into an university lecture hall and tell the person beside you “I’m really unintelligent.” Or walk into an interview and tell the interviewer you’re under-qualified for the position. When’s the last time you ever walked into a room and yelled out “I suck!” Never.
We’re all very competitive by nature. With that, we all necessarily don’t want to be the best. In many cases, we want to be just good enough. The fascinating thing here is that bar for “just good enough” is being raised at an exceptionally fast pace. It’s not about having nice jeans. It’s about having those designer jeans. The idea behind the product is moving to the idea behind a brand. And Gen-Y is buying into it.
Everyone’s Watching. Right?
They’re buying so much into this idea of personal extension through brands that they are effectively tearing down any brand hierarchy and in fact, slowly putting them all down to the same level. This effect of consumer horizontalization is the bar Gen-Y is following and raising. With the green screen in mind, it’s not about dressing nicely, driving a car or having a cell phone. It’s about being at that cool event in your Boss suit and her BCBG dress. It’s about the BMW’s and Benz’s. It’s about the BlackBerry’s and iPhone’s.
For the majority of Gen-Y, the Green Screen Syndrome is a reality. A reality where our online and offline self’s are endlessly reinforcing each other. When we do share online, we’re not sharing simply for the purpose of showing everyone. We’re trying to make a powerful statement about ourselves. Our offline identities and our online profiles are becoming examples to show why we are the best, great or at very least, good enough.
As long as the lights are on us and the camera is rolling, we’ll be putting up some great things for someone to watch. Or at least, we hope someone is watching. What would be the point of doing all this for ourselves? What would be the point of doing all this if no one was watching? Hey, who took down the green screen? Wait, was it even up before…
You might also like:
