Deep Fake

Today’s Topics

• Faking the Funk 🎭

• Welcome To The Show 🍿

  5 Mins Read Time

Faking the Funk 🎭
By Jo

How authentic are we really when it comes to our online personas?
In today’s world, sharing our daily lives has become routine—almost expected. But behind every post, every story, every “highlight,” there’s a real question lingering in the background: how much of it is actually real?

When you think about the term “faking the funk,” it hits even harder.
It means hiding your true identity. It means slipping into a role to gain something—validation, attention, access, a seat at a table that wasn’t built with you in mind. And the bigger question becomes: is it even necessary?

All of us go through a phase where we struggle to be our authentic selves. For me, it took time. I watched how people moved, how they blended into certain crowds, how they played roles to get ahead. And for a while, I thought that was the only way to become the person I wanted to be.

Until I realized something simple but powerful:
I could be myself and still get there.
People who resonate with you will do so because of you. And the ones who don’t? They were never meant to be in your circle anyway.

At the end of the day, it comes down to the “game” being played.
Do you want to be perceived as likable? Then a lot of people think they need to force a personality that isn’t theirs. Others just show up as themselves—and those are the people who win long term. Because everything starts with self.

The more comfortable you are with who you are—without being weird or performative about it—the more you start to glow. You can’t explain it, but it’s visible. You feel it. And others feel it too. Those people get labeled as “influencers,” even if they don’t try to be. But wearing that influencer hat comes with its own problems, because the moment people think they’ve figured you out, they start putting you into categories. That’s a whole other topic on its own.

For me personally, I’ve never been the type to put on a show for people—not even in my professional life. What you see is exactly what you get. And as I get older, I’m even less moved by the fakeness around me. Not impressed by it. Not influenced by it. Not chasing it.

You ever hear the saying: “It takes one to know one”?
Yeah. I see through the pretend because I tried it myself. Didn’t do anything for me. Didn’t push me forward. Didn’t unlock anything I couldn’t access by just being who I am today.

And just to be clear—we’re not talking about code-switching here. That’s a different aspect of identity with its own context. What we’re talking about is the pressure people feel to “fake the funk” just to be admired or to get a foot in the door of a place that wasn’t even designed for them in the first place.

The Golden Rule
Authenticity always pays off. Maybe not immediately, but definitely eventually.
Because when you stop performing and start being, you attract the right rooms, the right energy, and the right people—without having to lose pieces of yourself in the process.

Welcome To The Show 🍿

By Marcus

At this stage in the game, I think most of us understand how social media works. An algorithm collects and serves mostly user-generated content, prioritizes certain formats for maximum engagement, monetizes your attention, and rewards you with quick hits of dopamine to keep you coming back. Rinse and repeat.

Where there is incentive, people will always show up to get their piece of the pie. That’s how the world operates. But to actively exist on these platforms, there is also a hidden cost that can quietly affect us if we aren’t mindful.

This article isn’t focused on content creators or businesses that market their services/products. It’s focused on the people who primarily consume social media.

The Stage of Social Currency

What I find interesting about how social media engages us is how it has become an extension of how people measure their self-worth. For some, posting has become as routine as brushing their teeth. Don’t think, just do.

Follower counts and likes serve as the “net worth” of this space. And if your circle is highly active online, it’s not unreasonable to expect the peer pressure to join in — whether through trends, lifestyle posts, or sharing those random thoughts you once kept to yourself.

I don’t have much of a social media presence anymore, and what I do have is tied to work. A post about an article, a project I’m building, something along those lines. And when I post, I often ask myself why I’m doing it. It feels like seeking attention, even though I don’t enjoy attention, which is why I rarely post. I typically find myself looking for the most efficient way to accomplish a goal without having to use social media. At my core, I’m thinking about how to let the work speak for itself.

You may see the flaw in that logic, but I’m human. It all feels performative, and life for me is simpler without the theatrics.

The point is to understand why likes and follows have become a measurement of value — and how that affects someone who can’t separate their online persona from their real-world identity.

Confidence In Your Worth

If you find that a piece of your self-worth is tied to your social media presence, ask yourself why. Is it something you truly want, or did it just happen along the way?

The validation of people you don’t know, barely know, or may never meet has become gamified and woven into daily life.

As these systems grow smarter and their net spreads wider, there is real power in valuing yourself independently of outside influence or peer pressure. One of the most underrated skills today is the ability to navigate both worlds without losing your sense of reality.

Life always gives us options. If you feel pressured to be something you’re not online, it can drain your energy. You can still find ways to be authentic and stay true to who you are without compromising yourself. It may be more difficult, but it’s absolutely possible.

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