IRL
Jeanette Tran
IRL is a serial publication that consists of three books. Each issue contains self-written articles surrounding the topic of internet culture—particularly those that involve digital social dynamics and their influence on perceptions of reality. The project seeks to not only inform, but to also start conversations with readers about how society functions in the current world of mass media. This is nothing new: the internet is and always will be a major part of our lives. This is a thorough analysis of cyberspace. How do we exist online versus real life? With constant internet access, the way we consume, network and ultimately exist, lives heavily on the internet. We go through our daily routines without fully realizing how connected we are to the digital world and its communities; how attached we’ve become to a space that can simultaneously unite and divide people. Yet, there is still a disparity in knowing how and why we do what we do online—a disparity between the real and the surreal. We present multiple versions of ourselves on social media; we look to strangers on the internet for comfort and validation; we step into simulations that allow us to be in a different place, to live a different life. How are we true through the pictures we post? The people we swipe right on? Or the subcultures we follow? And what the hell is an E-boy? These are questions IRL seeks to answer in hopes of understanding this complex ecosystem, its themes, and social impacts. Welcome to an experiment-in-progress. Here, in real life.