Part 7/14:
Neon reflects nostalgically on their own youth, contrasting it with today’s pervasive social media environment. There’s a shared recognition that before smartphones, such incidents would have largely remained private, if they occurred at all. Today, with cameras seemingly always available, even minor mistakes are captured, shared, and mocked globally.
They recount stories from high schools where students' social media accounts are openly displayed on dorm room doors or where social status is tied to the number of followers, making it even harder to navigate authentic, private interactions. They point out how AI and deepfake technology threaten to further complicate matters, where even real events can be faked, creating confusion and mistrust.