Lorecore: The Gentle Prison of Dopamine
In the absence of grand, structuring global narratives, micro-stories are developing on social networks. However, the consequences are alarming.
Shumon Basar, author of “The Extreme Self & The Age of Earthquake,” defines the era we are entering as that of lorecore. This neologism, which has gained popularity in video games and fashion, refers to the creation of visual and written narrative worlds, digital settings in which individuals will narrate and "storify" themselves. This lorecore is made of two main pillars.
"Lore," derived from the word folklore, refers to the collection of aesthetic or cultural elements that shape our understanding of the world and our place in it. All these cues form a stage in the construction of our personal and collective identities. Lore encompasses myths, historical narratives, popular culture references, and personal anecdotes that people use to make sense of their experiences and also to convey meanings.
"Core," in "lorecore," signifies the central and essential aspect of these narratives that define a particular subculture or aesthetic movement. The suffix "core" has become popular in digital culture, often used to designate various micro-trends and subcultures (for example, “cottagecore,” "normcore"). It comprises a concentrated form of specific cultural elements with which people identify and express through various media, particularly on digital platforms.
As Agus Panzoni explains for Studio Halia, “as we witness global narratives collapse—supercharged by the relentless 'permacrisis'—personal mythos has become the ground on which we can confidently stand; it is the reality we can author.”
From the Human Condition to a Digital Condition
Our usage on social networks involves the constant creation of content and interaction with personal and collective narratives.
The advantage for users: connecting to comforting elements by focusing on cultural elements that confirm values, biases, and codes to which they can relate. It is not surprising that nostalgia for eras never lived is so significant on TikTok: they provide a framework, a unity, in which to immerse oneself.
Lorecore allows individuals to signal themselves socially and to customize their identity in a certain way. In short, an entry point to the character we consciously or unconsciously create online.
However, the risks are significant, and there are numerous examples of how this lorecore influences and defines our identities. The example of the explosion of the "HIP" (high intellectual potential) topic in online conversations and media is interesting: it increasingly reflects a feeling, driven on social networks by seeing ads or videos suggested to specific user groups. This feeling can be completely false in many cases; nevertheless, it allows individuals to position themselves, to define themselves within the rules of the social network game.
The construction of entire worlds (or worldbuilding) can often be very superficial or limited on social networks. Because these worlds are used as backgrounds, as settings, but mainly rely on people's ability to use them as a pretext for introspection. A truth in their feed at their fingertips, easy to replicate and share. And above all, allowing us to position ourselves on a binary axis: for or against.
Brands are also drawn into this lorecore. Notably in its aesthetic influences. The recent launch of merch by a French mutual insurance company (Maif) closely resembles the codes of the Depop platform.
It is not about copying what is being done but rather a cultural background noise that infiltrates digital spaces, through interstitial storytelling. We no longer know exactly where we are, but we vaguely know the reference point we are at.
Pre-packaged Future: Anxiety and Rise of Extremism
TikTok and digital platforms need us to cluster in real-time. As we no longer consciously follow accounts but consume videos pushed by algorithms, we become, in a sense, passive voters in continuous referendums. Referendums on what is cool or not, on the choice of a political candidate, etc. The line between our deep interests and what comforts us in this dopamine prison is increasingly blurred. A prison that eventually instills a certain anxiety; by constantly seeing a repetition of similar codes, the initial reward disappears, giving way to a feeling of loneliness and difficulty in extracting oneself from what we see on our feeds.
In an interview with 032c, Shumon Basar reminds us that “for anybody who’s extremely online, when the Internet shuts down and stops working completely, you’re going to shut down with it.”
Quite the opposite of digital liveness, in short. Against these pre-packaged futures, the power of imagination remains.
The Number of the Week: +8%
According to TikTok, users notice a change in their perception of a brand after consuming content developed by creators on the platform. Specifically, an 8-point increase in the "casual" item.
Amazing Links
Google France alerted me to the explosion of Silent Reviews. Read on CB News.
The Chinese internet is said to be disappearing. An in-depth article to read on the New York Times.
The Web Design Museum is always a good idea
Have a great week! I have finally translated my French book in English, so if you’re a publisher, get in touch! And don't hesitate to share this newsletter, like, comment, or keep sending me emails: these notifications are a joy.
I have been a social intelligence practitioner for well over a decade so of course I read this with that lens. As data is already becoming more difficult to ingest into social intelligence platforms and the ever increasing use of video, "Silent Reviews" and versions of them pose another interesting obstacle for organizations that track earned media mentions. (Their own, that of their competitors and across industries.) Are the tools we have available today able to capture all of these silent mentions? If this trend continues with any level of longevity, which I suppose it will, what are the platforms going to do to keep up so brands can also keep up?
Bonjour et merci pour cet excellent article. Il résonne avec ce que publiait Jan Blommaert il y a une dizaine d’années : »Enough is enough, the heuristics of superdiversity »