Olivia Proe
Features Editor
In a world where online image is becoming enmeshed with our offline identity, it’s only appropriate that Netflix release a reality TV competition about social media popularity. “The Circle” attempts to tackle the complex dynamics of internet fame while remaining self-aware of its kitsch, making it a delight to watch.
“The Circle” is the lovechild of MTV’s “Big Brother” and “Catfish.” In this reality gameshow, contestants are confined to separate apartments where they are only allowed to connect with other players through a social media app on their home TVs called “The Circle.” Players can upload photos, post status updates and message other players either directly or through group chats. At the end of the episode, the players rank each other on popularity solely through those online interactions. The two most popular players of the week become “Influencers,” who then team up and decide which player to “block” and eliminate from the competition.
The catch? Players can be completely themselves — or anyone they want. Because the competitors never meet face-to-face, they can choose to use their own photos or someone else’s, essentially catfishing other players and working their way through the social hierarchy using a false identity. Players then must navigate the complex social dynamic of how they want to be perceived, all while trying to dodge the catfish of the group.
The show is incredibly entertaining and a rollercoaster experience. Viewers watch the competitors create real connections with each other, even within their false identities, and strategize as The Circle slowly takes over their lives. It is fascinating and terrifying how quickly the players accept the social medium’s rules. And though each player is visibly distressed every time their TV lights up with an alert from The Circle, once eliminated, they each express that they will genuinely miss being pestered by its constant updates and messages from online friends. Viewers will also find themselves attached to the contestants within just a few episodes, feeling as if they have entered a quasi-friend group alongside them. The quirky games and hilarious, touching interactions and drama will captivate even the most reality TV-averse viewers.
Despite its tackiness, “The Circle” does take on the very real impacts that social media has on our perceptions of ourselves and others. Though many of the players choose to enter the competition as themselves, others choose to catfish the players because of concerns that they may have around their image or identity. Competitors who feel that they would not be accepted for their outward appearance still continue to make genuine connections with their own personalities and someone else’s photos. Players find themselves wondering if they would have had such a strong connection with the catfish had they presented themselves with real pictures, and it causes the audience to call into question their own biases they may have in meeting new people.
Ultimately, “The Circle” is little more than a guilty pleasure binge, but it still holds some worth in the themes it highlights. It does raise questions about whether or not authenticity is valued in the social media age — and at the end of the day, teaches us that there is still promise in being our most genuine selves, on and offline.