Navigating the Two Internets: Finding Your Role Online
James Brown explores the concept of "two Internets" in this podcast episode, highlighting the distinction between the polished, engagement-driven normie Internet and the hidden, messy subterranean Internet. He argues that most people navigate both spaces, playing different roles depending on the platform and context. Just as we adapt our behavior in various social settings, our online personas shift between enthusiastic participants and silent observers. Brown suggests that the Internet amplifies our real-life tendencies to wear different masks, allowing for both broad connection and deeper understanding. Ultimately, he encourages listeners to reflect on how they move through these digital realms and what that reveals about their identities.
James Brown introduces the concept of two distinct realms of the Internet, articulating the dichotomy between the 'normie Internet' and the 'subterranean Internet.' The normie Internet is described as polished and algorithm-driven, designed to maximize engagement and visibility, while the subterranean Internet thrives in obscurity, characterized by its rawness and the authenticity of its participants. Brown posits that individuals often navigate both spaces simultaneously, embodying different roles depending on their context and audience. This exploration leads to a broader reflection on the nature of self-presentation in digital spaces, paralleling how people adapt their identities in various social environments.
Takeaways:
- The Internet is divided into two distinct realms: the polished normie Internet and the hidden subterranean Internet.
- We often navigate both Internets simultaneously, shifting roles depending on the environment.
- Just as in real life, our online personas adapt based on the audience we're engaging with.
- The normie Internet encourages public performance and engagement, while the subterranean Internet allows for quieter interactions.
- Understanding how we navigate these two spaces reveals truths about our identities and behaviors.
- You don't have to choose one Internet over the other; each serves a different purpose in our lives.
Links referenced in this episode:
Transcript
Two Internets, many roles.
James Brown:This is commentary from James Brown.
James Brown:Katherine D.
James Brown:AKA default friend on Substack, makes an intriguing point about the Internet.
James Brown:She says there are two Internets.
James Brown:The normie Internet, polished, algorithm driven and built for engagement.
James Brown:And the subterranean Internet, hidden, messy and guarded by people who don't care.
James Brown:Care about clout.
James Brown:I think she's right.
James Brown:But here's where it gets interesting.
James Brown:Most of us don't choose one or the other.
James Brown:We live in both.
James Brown:Even on the same platform, we play different roles.
James Brown:We're enthusiastic participants in one corner and silent lurkers in another.
James Brown:One moment we're liking memes and commenting on TikToks, the next, we're scrolling through a heated debate, watching but saying nothing, like wallflowers at a digital party.
James Brown:And if we're honest, and we should be, we'd admit that this isn't that different from the rest of our lives.
James Brown:Think about it.
James Brown:Aren't we all a little different depending on the room we're in?
James Brown:At work, we present one version of ourselves.
James Brown:At home with family, another with friends.
James Brown:We're open, but with strangers.
James Brown:Maybe guarded, maybe more quiet.
James Brown:We adapt.
James Brown:We shift.
James Brown:We wear masks.
James Brown:Not out of deceit, not because we don't care, but because that's what life asks us to do.
James Brown:The Internet just amplifies this.
James Brown:It gives us more rooms to enter, more roles to play.
James Brown:The normie Internet pulls us into public performances, polished, indigestible for the algorithm.
James Brown:The subterranean Internet, on the other hand, lets us retreat, be quieter, rougher around the edges.
James Brown:And just like in life, we need both places.
James Brown:One to connect broadly and the other to feel seen more deeply.
James Brown:So do you really have to choose one Internet or the other?
James Brown:I don't think so.
James Brown:What matters isn't which space you belong to, but how you navigate them.
James Brown:Whether you're chasing clout or blending into the background, the roles we play tell us something about who we are.
James Brown:What do you think?
James Brown:Does Catherine have a point?
James Brown:Do I?
James Brown:And what about you?
James Brown:Do you find yourself thriving in one space and lurking in another?
James Brown:And how different are the roles you play online from the ways you play roles in life?
James Brown:Let me know in the comments and support my work@jamesbrowntv.substack.com on that note, I'm James Brown, and as always, be well.
