The period starting around the
late 2000s and ending with the Trump presidency. Evoking the Gilded
Age, the term underscores the rampant
tech idealism of the time, which ushered in drone warfare, platform
capitalism, Amazon and the retailocalypse, and the
collection and sale of individuals' data (often with their assistance such as with the Ring scandal). Also of note: The paradoxical normalization/ encouragement of narcissistic behavior and the
death of privacy (and thus certain modes of self-determination); the rise of a cyborgian mystical-scientific-sycretic wellness culture alongside inflated healthcare costs; the replacement of social movements with personal reckonings and managing your brand;
echo chambers; the favoring of creative production that is archival or highly reflexive / referential; endless navel-gazey commentary.
"After the protests started, Chad sent me $5 on venmo
bc white fragility?? I called him out and now he's in a shame
spiral that helps
nobody."
"God, we need to get out of the Mirrored Age."