Fake authenticity backstories exploit the internet’s democratizing promise

Evidence

Less scrupulous companies exploited the internet’s promise of democratization, crafting backstories that gave the illusion of authenticity—the so-called industry plants. A notable early example was lonelygirl15, a YouTube channel launched in 2006 that rapidly gained popularity for the vlogs of charismatic teenager Bree Avery, who turned out to be a fictional character played by a paid actress. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 292

Categorization

Category: Definitional Content

• DEFINE: Defines ‘industry plants’ — manufactured authenticity that mimics grassroots popularity — a key term in Marx’s argument that the internet’s democratization was exploited.

Related

• The fake-backstory industry plant was born with YouTube virality (similarity 0.93)
• Fake amateur authenticity proved profitable and launched careers (similarity 0.79)