âPeep this foosâ: style and authenticityÂ
     In this story, Thompson-Spires uses references to style, music, and pop culture to show the effects of a self-imposed âdigital panopticon.â The idea of a digital panopticon is one created by Joel Wong in his article The Digital Panopticon: How Social Media Mirrors Benthamâs Watchtower. He describes it as the online phenomenon of always acting in a superficial way online, even while not being actively observed. This causes a form of self-surveillance in ourselves, so that we perform for an audience that isn't even there. This paradox can be perfectly seen in Jilly, who is always performing for an audience that doesn't seem to care about her. She does this especially with how she uses pop culture references online. Jilly uses style and music as a way to get more attention, even if it is not authentic to herself. Jilly remarked that if she were to ârun a content analysis of the style and type of posts that got the most responses, it would emerge that faux ebonics always ranked right,â (Thompson-Spires 114). She also reflects on her most popular post, which is a selfie of her in a bandeau top and short skirt doing an exaggerated duck-lips expression. Not long after thinking this, Jilly starts preparing lunch and takes out a porcelain bowl printed with kawaii lollipops and matching utensils. While the style/faux AAVE she uses online and kawaii dishware are definitely not mutually exclusive, we get the feeling that, with her attention-seeking nature, she might use a different style online than what she uses in real life. Presenting a different style and set of interests online than what one might actually enjoy is not uncommon, but it is just one part of the larger picture of how social media is damaging. It causes someone to change themselves, to change their own identity. Thompson-Spires doesnât tell the audience much about Jilly in terms of an identity. There isnât really anything known about her interests or hobbies. Online, Jilly makes posts about Shonda Rhimes shows and cute cat videos, but it is unclear if these are things she actually likes or if itâs what she knows will get the most engagement. Thompson-Spires uses these little allusions to media and style to show how Jilly has tried to take from things in pop culture to make up her identity. The way Jilly lives her life is by finding whatever is most popular and using that to gain attention. Like in the digital panopticon, Jilly is constantly performing, changing herself, and posting for an audience that doesnât seem to actually care about her. This performance has gone so far that Jilly doesnât have much of an identity outside of it.
