How the Internet made you a Spoilt Brat
- Bryton Gore
- Mar 26
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 28
The Entitlement of Social Media
Imagine us, 2025, a bunch of Fools, clutching phones like a crystal ball, convinced that social media is some unfiltered documentary of real life. Are you serious? You think someone's Instagram story at a beach means they're always on vacation? That a smiling selfie means they're happy? That a well-worded tweet means they’re intelligent? Let me guess. You must also think reality TV is real and that influencers actually use the products they shill, and you think just by being online you actually know how to trigger someone emotionally. Please don’t make me laugh.
People’s ability to mistake a carefully curated highlight reel for real life is honestly impressive, or even think civilian looking posts are reality is like watching a toddler try to eat a picture of food. If social media were real, every couple would be deeply in love, nobody would struggle financially, and every fitness influencer would have a six-pack from "just walking" and "eating intuitively."
But no, you keep scrolling, convinced that a blue checkmark equals credibility and a viral post is gospel. Meanwhile, people are out here FaceTuning their pores out of existence, (I know even I’ve done it; fuck it I made a whole project out of it) deleting anything unflattering, and filtering their personalities as much as their photos. If you truly believe social media is reality, then please, for the love of logic, never play poker, Casino’s would LOVE you, you’d believe every bluff and walk away broke.
Reality happens when the camera's off, when the filters are gone, when the 'mysterious disappearance' of an account follows a breakdown no one wants to post about. But go ahead, keep believing that your favourite influencer "woke up like this." It's adorable.
In an age dominated by social media, where everyone has a platform, the lines between reality and perception have blurred. People mistake opinions for expertise, and you’ll see it everywhere especially through posts that start with; “As a Legal Hobbyist Vegan Low Cal Wheat Happy Yoga Mama” before a slurred baseless opinion from someone who doesn’t understand how perception works. It’s true that real life interaction and experience has been toppled by online engagement and considered as real-world influence by algorithm-driven echo chambers for truth and slacktivism. The entitlement to opinion has spiraled into an extremist delusion we are all guilty of where individuals believe their perspectives are inherently valid, regardless of evidence. This phenomenon is not only shaping online discourse, it is influencing real-world behaviors, policies, and even personal lives.
Opinion > Expertise
Social media has given everyone a voice, which in theory, is a democratic ideal. However, this has led to the widespread misconception that all opinions are equally valuable. Studies show that 72% of Americans believe their opinion is as valid as an expert’s, even in fields where they have no experience (Pew Research Center, 2022).
A 2023 study from the MIT Media Lab found that misinformation spreads six times faster than factual information on Twitter. This means that uninformed opinions, once voiced with confidence, can become widespread “truths” before experts even have a chance to correct them. The entitlement to opinion is no longer just an issue of personal belief, it has real effects on public perception and policy-making.
One of the most invasive aspects of this digital delusion is how some people believe they can diagnose mental health or lifestyle issues simply by analysing someone’s social media usage. I’ve received messages from strangers convinced they knew what was best for my family and my kids. They claimed that my “crazy” online behavior was not only a bid for virality but also a sign that I was unfit to parent. It was laughable, and infuriating, watching these unsolicited opinions, as screenshots of their messages and gossip flooded my inbox. They imposed their views on what was right for my family, using social media as a weapon to attack others rather than a platform for genuine dialogue.
But, Social Media is not real life. The detachment from reality is exacerbated by the curated nature of social media. The average user spends 2 hours and 31 minutes per day on these platforms (Statista, 2023) consuming content that is often exaggerated, misleading, or entirely false. This results in distorted perceptions where online interactions are mistaken for real-life consequences. A Harvard Business Review study found that 80% of people engage primarily with content that aligns with their pre-existing beliefs, creating echo chambers that reinforce a false sense of intellectual superiority.
Cancel culture is one of the most striking manifestations of this phenomenon. According to a Cato Institute survey (2023), 62% of Americans are afraid to share their honest opinions in person, preferring the anonymity and performative outrage of the online world. The digital realm becomes a battleground for ideological purity, where anyone who strays from the accepted narrative is swiftly and harshly judged.
It’s simply just Extremism, Culture Wars, and Class Battles. This toxic environment has also fueled extremism on both ends of the political spectrum. The extremist right online has become so hypersensitive (but convinced they aren’t) that even mentions of identity can trigger outrage & claims of insanity, while the left is quick to label anything as signs of being “autistic” or “sick in the head.” What appears as a culture war is, in reality, a class war one where economic inequality and systemic disenfranchisement simmer beneath the surface. Media literacy (or the lack thereof) has turned every tweet and post into ammunition in a battle that is less about ideas and more about power dynamics. The incessant clash between these factions not only divides communities but also perpetuates the delusion that the online persona is an accurate reflection of reality.
The Real-World Consequences
These delusions manifests in several alarming ways:
1. False Activism (Slacktivism):
A 2023 study by the Oxford Internet Institute revealed that 76% of users believe that posting about a cause is equivalent to taking real action, leading to a decline in genuine activism.
2. Doxxing and Online Mobs:
A report from the University of Chicago (2023) found that 40% of Americans have experienced online harassment, often fueled by individuals who feel justified by their misguided interpretations of digital behavior.
3. Mental Health Decline:
For my latest art project, I decided to quantify an everyday digital habit, the act of scrolling on your smartphone. (Ineeded the measurement to construct a sculptural piece) With some simple math, I discovered a horrifying visual: the average person scrolls about 65 metres per day. How did I arrive at this number? I’ll break it down.
————-Boring Math Breakdown
Assuming each scroll advances roughly 3/4 of an inch, and factoring in the average amount of time most people spend scrolling on their phone, the cumulative distance your thumb travels adds up to a remarkable 65-68metres. To put that into perspective, that's the equivalent of scaling a 20-storey building or, in my local iconography, the height of the Sydney Opera House everyday, with just your thumb.
————-Okay the Math is Over…
The entitlement of opinion and the delusion that social media mirrors real life is a growing crisis with severe consequences. While social media can connect us and disseminate information rapidly, it is not a substitute for real-world experience, critical thinking, or expert knowledge. When people use their screens as the final arbiter of truth; diagnosing lives, dictating family values, and fueling extremist ideologies, they lose sight of the nuanced, complex reality that exists beyond the digital veneer. Recognizing these truths is the first step toward reversing the damage of unchecked misinformation and fostering a culture that values informed dialogue over performative outrage and slacktivism. And that’s how the Internet made you a Spoilt Brat
Brandolini’s Law states that “the amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude larger than to produce it.” In our digital age, this observation rings truer than ever.
And I personally hate that I am apart of it.
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