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realsh*t: Slaves to the Algorithm Ep. 1

Episode 1

Real ones will remember realsh*t, the series we started in 2020 to get a view on life in lockdown from our SELFHOOD Collective. Now, it’s back. And it’s taken to the streets. Each week we’ll be dropping a new episode giving real takes from real people in real time on the points of debate in our new White Paper, ‘Slaves to the Algorithm: Social Media and the Decay of the Developing Mind’.

First up: we asked the people of London how they feel about representation in advertising. Are brands gatekeeping them, even if unconsciously? In the era of the perfunctory performativity and woke-washing, do brands default to rainbow flags and black squares in lieu of substantive action? Has ‘diversity’ become an exercise in buzzword box-ticking? And how do brands go beyond the perceived homogeneity of their ‘target audience’?

Audiences aren’t stupid. They can spot a hollow gesture a mile off. Now they want more from the brands they’re buying from.

Real people, real time… realsh*t.